My life has been shaped by tragedy, says Charlize Theron

Hollywood star Charlize Theron.

Hollywood star Charlize Theron.

Published Dec 8, 2022

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Charlize Theron's attitude towards life has been shaped by tragedy.

After experiencing tragedy during her younger years, the 47-year-old actress came to realise that “you don’t have forever”.

The Oscar-winning star, whose mother shot her father in self-defence, explained: “One thing that early tragedy brought me is the realisation that you don’t have forever. You just don’t.

“And it’s easy to be like: ‘Oh, it’s one movie,’ but then it’s another movie and another.

“And I don’t want to sound like I’m carrying some message on my sleeve, but I do think for women, we worry (that) if we don’t work harder and we don’t keep pushing, we will never quite arrive. And it is exhausting.

“I never feel like: ‘Oh, I can just f****** enjoy this.’ But you do get more perspective as you get older, and, at almost 50, it does get easier.”

Despite her success, Theron insists she doesn’t behave like a stereotypical movie star.

The acclaimed actress doesn’t feel the need to behave like an “enigma”.

Theron told The Hollywood Reporter: “I could be wrong, but I don’t think anyone I’ve had business with would say: ‘Oh, I don’t know her.’

“I make it so abundantly clear when I meet somebody, even if it’s a pitch at a streamer for a f****** TV show, that I don’t need to be an enigma.

“And I think that’s part of the broadness, the ‘let me swear and be self-deprecating’. It’s because I don’t want to waste all this time with you thinking I’m this movie star.

“Let’s break down all the walls so that we can just get down to business.”