South African and American actress, producer, and fashion model. She starred in early films in the late 1990s, such as The Devil’s Advocate (1997), Mighty Joe Young (1998) and The Cider House Rules (1999). Theron received critical acclaim for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster (2003), for which she won the Academy Award, Silver Bear, Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress among several other accolades, becoming the first South African to win an Academy Award in a major acting category. She received further Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations for her performance in the sexual harassment-themed drama North Country in 2005 and a Golden Globe Award nomination for her performance in Jason Reitman’s 2011 comedy-drama Young Adult.
Theron became a U.S. citizen in 2007, while retaining her South African citizenship. In the late 2000s, she moved into the field of producing, both in television and film. In 2006, she produced the documentary East of Havana. In 2008, she starred in The Burning Plain and served as an executive producer. In 2014, she produced and starred in Dark Places. In 2012, she played Queen Ravenna in Snow White and the Huntsman and Meredith Vickers in Prometheus, both of which were box office successes.
While filming Aeon Flux in Berlin, Germany, Theron suffered a herniated disc in her neck, caused by a fall while filming a series of back handsprings. It required her to wear a neck brace for a month. In July 2009, she was diagnosed with a serious stomach virus, thought to be contracted while traveling overseas. While filming The Road, Theron injured her vocal cords during the labour screaming scenes.
In the mid-1990s, Theron had a two-year relationship with actor Craig Bierko. From 1997 to 2001, she dated Third Eye Blind frontman Stephan Jenkins. Theron then began a relationship with Irish actor Stuart Townsend, with whom she starred in Trapped (2002) and Head in the Clouds (2004). Theron and Townsend separated in January 2010 after nearly nine years together. Since early 2014, she has been dating actor Sean Penn.
Theron has a son, Jackson, whose adoption was announced in March 2012. She lives in Los Angeles
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