As published on CLAUDIA in July 2020

An Academy Award winner for Best Actress, respected in the industry, and adored by fans around the globe, Charlize Theron has built one of the most solid careers in Hollywood in recent years. The combination of intelligence, talent, beauty, and focus makes her a fascinating person. With a strong filmography behind her, the South African actress is now in the enviable position of being able to choose what she wants to do — and when. It wasn’t always this way, but she remains grounded.

In the pandemic, she spoke with CLAUDIA about her new film, The Old Guard, which was premiering globally on Netflix that weekend (in July 2020). The call dropped, but she immediately called back. “I’m sorry, I seem to have a terrible connection,” she said. Charlize shared that she feels a special connection to Brazil, where she’s vacationed more than once. “You don’t have to twist my arm to get me to go back,” she laughed. “I love Brazil,” she added. Though cynics might dismiss that as a cliché, within five minutes of talking to her, it’s clear she has no time or patience for pretense. “Ultimately, I don’t want life to pass by and be only about work. We’ve got to enjoy it too,” she says.

Charlize was born in South Africa 45 years ago but has lived in the United States for nearly thirty years. She arrived as a teenager during a brief modeling career, which she left behind to pursue acting. She made two films before being discovered by none other than Tom Hanks, who cast her in a supporting role in That Thing You Do!. Within a few years, she was sharing the screen with stars like Johnny Depp, Matt Damon, and Keanu Reeves, impressing both critics and directors. In 2003, she won the Oscar for Monster and reached a place where she could choose her projects freely.

Charlize thrives on versatility, appearing in action films, dramas, comedies, and romantic stories. She has no limits. “I’ve never had — and still don’t have — a long-term or five-year plan,” she explains. “As an artist, diversity is what drives me, because it has to be stories I really want to dedicate my time to. After all, I commit to them for a long time, and I have two little kids at home,” she says.

Motherhood has indeed shaped her life. She has never been married and keeps her personal life as private as possible. Her most well-known relationships were with Stuart Townsend and Sean Penn, but she doesn’t speak about them, just as she avoids talking much about her adopted children — a boy now eight, and a girl now four. They are at the center of every decision Charlize makes.

“When I make big choices, they’re family choices: is it good for my kids? Does it work for us as a family? Is it worth it?” she explains. “You have to have a very clear understanding of your priorities — and mine are my children. I draw a hard line at anything that interferes with what my kids need,” she says. And is being a single mom harder? “When I’m struggling, I remind myself I’m not the only woman in this situation, and that helps. There are lots of single moms and dads working and making it work,” she says.

Her personal experience is clearly a source of inspiration. Charlize was raised by her mother, Gerda Maritz, who shot and killed her father, Charles, in 1991 in an act of self-defense after years of physical and psychological abuse. Charlize witnessed it all — she was only 15 when her father died. Early in her career, she kept the story secret, claiming her father had died in a car crash. Today, she doesn’t dwell on the subject, but she no longer hides the truth — nor does she need to.

Over the years, her choices — whether in drama or romance — have consistently featured strong female characters. With professional recognition came the creation of her own production company, through which she personally selects the projects she wants to star in. Films like Bombshell, which was even nominated for a Golden Globe. And The Old Guard, which premieres worldwide on Netflix this week (in July 2020).

Based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernández, it’s another action-driven choice by Charlize. “I received the script while I was filming Bombshell, and it had that international flair I was looking for,” she says. The film was a bigger step because it was shot in multiple locations, and the visual effects and action scenes required a much larger budget. “It was definitely the biggest project we’ve done so far,” she celebrates.

In the movie, she plays the immortal Andy, who leads a very special group of mercenaries trying to maintain the balance between good and evil in the world. Andy, despite her millennia of life, is less than thrilled with what she sees. “At the end of the day, Andy is an optimist, but when we first meet her, she’s really cynical and has become somewhat jaded about what’s happening in the world — the fact that people aren’t taking care of each other — and she questions whether it even makes sense. Even if you’re fighting for what’s right, does it make any difference?” the actress reflects, pausing. “I relate to that, to being optimistic even in moments like the one we’re living through with this pandemic. For me, at least, it’s made me see what really matters,” she says.

Charlize closely follows international affairs (“we have our own version of a nightmare here too,” she says about Donald Trump) and used her time in social isolation to focus on her children. She says she made the most of the American summer to fulfill her dream of spending uninterrupted time with them, playing in the yard, and enjoying the unexpected break. But she also discovered a weakness: “I’m the worst teacher!” she laughed, insisting it was true — even in the face of our disbelief at what seems to be Charlize Theron’s only flaw. We’ll have to trust her self-assessment.

As for the future? More work, she assures. Before saying goodbye, I ask if there’s someone she still dreams of working with. She doesn’t hesitate: “Danny Boyle. I really want to work with Danny Boyle,” she says. She has excellent taste.

Affectionate, Charlize says goodbye with the most maternal request of all: “Promise me you’ll stay safe during the pandemic, okay?”
No, Charlize Theron truly has no flaws.