Immigrant of the Day: Charlize Theron (South Africa)

Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975) is an actress who is most well known for her Academy Award-winning portrayal of Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster.

Theron was born in South Africa. At age 16, Theron went to Milan, Italy on a one-year modeling contract, after winning a local competition. Her contract ended while she was in New York City, and she decided to remain there, attending the Joffrey Ballet School, where she trained as a ballet dancer. A knee injury ended this career path when she was 18.  Theron moved to Los Angeles and, after eight months there, she was cast in her first film part in the direct-to-video film Children of the Corn III. She followed this with larger roles, and her career skyrocketed in the late 1990s, with box office successes like The Devil’s Advocate, The Cider House Rules, and Mighty Joe Young.

Theron starred as serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster (2003). Film critic Roger Ebert called it “one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema”, for which Theron won an Oscar for Best Actress Oscar at the 76th Academy Awards in 2004, as well as the Screen Actors Award and the Golden Globe Award.

Theron is the first South African to win an Oscar for Best Actress. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2007.

KJ