With each new appearance, the enchanting Charlize Theron proves she's in top form. With a brilliant and prolific career spanning countless roles, the South African star owes her international success not only to an irresistibly magnetic stage presence, but also to her ability to align her artistic inclinations with astute choice of career opportunities.
Trying her hand at a wide range of acting, ranging from mainstream to more sophisticated cinema, we have seen her appear in notable films such as “The Devil’s Advocate” and “The Cider House Rules,” but it is above all with “Monster” – a 2004 film inspired by the character of serial killer Aileen Wuornos – that she managed to display the maximum of her expressive skills, receiving the Oscar for Best Actress the following year.
Since then, Theron has further refined her selection of work, collaborating with some of the most established filmmakers around and increasingly favoring auteur-driven productions. This is demonstrated by films such as Jason Reitman's "Young Adult," Ridley Scott's "Prometheus," and George Miller's "Mad Max: Fury Road," the latter widely acclaimed by critics and winning six Oscars. For those who missed it in theaters this summer, Theron also appeared in Christopher Nolan's monumental "The Odyssey," once again giving us a performance of rare finesse as the sensual Calypso, contributing to the success of a production that is already shaping up to be a strong contender for next year's awards season.
With $1.68 billion in worldwide grosses, making it the most successful film in Universal's history, "The Odyssey" was also the focus of appropriate celebrations to mark this extraordinary milestone. With Theron at the forefront, the event held on September 19th at the Universal Studios Backlot in Universal City, Los Angeles, raised funds for the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP), a foundation that has been working to improve the health and safety of young South Africans since 2007, with the aim of offering them new opportunities for the future.
The star told Variety: "I feel like I got an invitation to the best party in town and I don't even know how I got there. I'm just happy I was invited." Reiterating how her relationship with Universal goes beyond the professional, she added: "Universal is truly my family. I owe them so much. They've been by my side throughout my career."
Turning to the issue of humanitarian emergencies, especially regarding the contribution the United States can make to improving the living conditions of millions of people, he argued: "It's a misconception to think that Americans don't care what happens in the rest of the world. I really hope we can return to those times, because people are dying."
Focusing specifically on the South African emergency, Theron called for a renewed focus on women's issues, particularly the repeated incidents of violence and the continuing cases of femicide that are rampant across the country. Emphasizing that this is a top priority for the foundation, she stated: "I believe we are entering a year in which we should really invest heavily in organizations working on the ground to combat gender-based violence. The femicide currently occurring in South Africa is incredibly brutal."
Recounting how she now receives daily news of women being murdered and left abandoned in a landfill on the East Rand, the area of Johannesburg where she grew up, she added: “It's as if no one cares. No one talks about these things. The value of women's lives must matter. If we take away the humanitarian issue, what's left? If what you care about is feeling safe here in America, then you should care about other people too.”
Closing with a hope that, however, appears far from being realized, he concluded: "My dream, as absurd as it may be, would be to be able to say: we don't have to do this anymore, it's solved. But I don't think it will happen that way."
Giovanni Scanu