Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron was born on August 7, 1975, and raised on a farm near Johannesburg, South Africa. Theron left her native South Africa to try her hand at modeling and ballet in Milan and New York but a knee injury ended her ballet career, inspiring her to move to Hollywood and begin acting.

Her acting career took off when she landed the role of Helga Svelgen in 1996’s 2 Days in the Valley, and hit a high point with her 2003 Academy Award-winning turn in Monster. She’s also known for her roles in Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, and the Fast and Furious franchise.

Theron dated her Head in the Clouds costar Stuart Townsend from 2001 to 2010, and actor Sean Penn from 2013 to 2015. The actress has two daughters, who she adopted in 2012 and 2015.