Collin County Living Well Magazine July/August 2017 | Page 13

In 2003, Charlize scored a role that gained her awards
and genuine notoriety; Monster. Film critic Roger Ebert
called it “One of the greatest performances in the history
of cinema.”
drivers of AIDS, and although the geographic scope of
CTAOP is Sub-Saharan Africa, the primary concentration
has mostly been Charlize’s home country of South Africa.
She starred as a serial killer, resulting in being the first
South African to win an Oscar for Best Actress. And in
2006, she made the list of the highest-paid actresses in
Hollywood. She has also shared quite a vocal voice in women’s rights,
pro-choice rallies, and is an active member of PETA. In
addition, she’s a strong supporter of same-sex marriage,
publicly stating she wouldn’t tie the knot until same-sex mar-
riage is legal in the United States.
On fame, Theron was quoted saying: “I don’t believe in
charmed lives. I think that tragedy is part of the lesson you
learn to lift yourself up, to pick yourself up, and to move on.” But, of course, her most recent most important role has been
morphing into motherhood. Theron adopted a boy in 2012
and, in 2015, a little girl.
Stardom and success clearly followed Charlize, because
she went on to win a Primetime Emmy for her work in the
HBO film The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. She also re-
ceived a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and did
voiceover work in the Aeon Flux video game. Her diverse
career speaks for itself: a farm girl turned talented, rich,
famous, and fabulous. “I live a very simple life. I don’t have to make these giant
movies. I don’t have a yacht or a private plane. As long as I
can maintain this life, which is pretty low-maintenance and
simple, then all of a sudden you don’t have to worry about
all that stuff. It’s such a blessed place to be in. I don’t have
to take a job to pay a mortgage on a house that I can’t af-
ford. My life comes first, then my job. I’m incredibly lucky
to be in a position where I don’t have to work all the time
to live.”
But another philanthropic side of Charlize was destined to
be fulfilled. In 2008, the was asked to be a UN Messen-
ger of Peace by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.
This, thanks to her Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Proj-
ect (CTAOP), an effort to support African youth in the fight
against HIV/AIDS. The project is committed to supporting
community-engaged organizations that address the key
With modeling, acting, philanthropy, and motherhood on
her resume, Charlize has also gained recognition with in-
ternational endorsements. You’ve seen the commercials for
Christian Dior. Yep, that’s your multi-million-dollar success
story, Ms. Charlize Theron.
Founder of Charlize Theron
Africa Outreach Project and U.N.
Messenger of Peace, Charlize
Theron (Left) and former First
Lady of the United States Michelle
Obama join the ‘Let Girls Learn’
Global Conversation.
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