Charlize Theron, half a centenary of catharsis and laurels

Charlize Theron long ago stated that "there's something cathartic about playing a wounded person." She explained this to the Daily Mail when she was barely in her thirties. A catharsis that she, throughout her extensive filmography, has explored in many ways.

Now , as 50 candles light on her cake, the actress continues to shine as one of Hollywood's most desirable stars. An atomic diva who has balanced single motherhood with a renowned career and, above all, with her freedom.

"I like looking back because you realize there's an evolution in your life," the actress told Telva a couple of years ago. And the truth is, looking back on Charlize's story, there's certainly a lot of evolution.

Charlize Theron was born on August 7, 1975, in Benoni, South Africa. The daughter of Charles and Gerda Theron, her childhood was marked by domestic violence, as Charles, an alcoholic, abused them both. The situation ended when Charlize was 15.

“Tonight I’m going to kill both of them,” he shouted one night when he had come home drunk, shooting from the other side of the door of the room where Gerda and her daughter were trying to take refuge.

The gruesome episode ended with Gerda shooting Charles with his own gun, all in front of a teenage Charlize. Although her mother wasn't convicted for the act because it was an act of self-defense, the incident marked a turning point for the young woman: "Everything changed for me," she explained in an interview with the Daily Mail.

At first, Theron wasn't able to confess the truth about her past and her father's death: "I used to hide everything and say he died in a car accident, but over time I've accepted it and moved on."

“I think we all run away to some extent, and I think it’s human nature to not want to deal with our demons or our dark side ,” something her career was key to: “I’m lucky to have a job that allows me to explore things that might resemble my own life or my own issues.”

However, before she could experience that form of catharsis, she had to fight her way back from the bottom. A year after her father's death, Charlize left South Africa and traveled to Milan, Italy, to work as a model.

The following year she began her classical ballet training in New York, but a knee injury at age 18 cut short her career as a professional dancer, and she decided to try her luck in Hollywood, where she arrived with just "$300 in her pocket," given to her by her mother, who had bought her a one-way ticket.

There, on that limited budget, she lived rough in a "sleazy motel" and even "stealed bread from restaurants," until she was discovered by chance by talent scout John Crosby. Theron was arguing with a bank clerk over a check, and Crosby, who was behind her in line, saw her potential.

This is how he made his film debut in Children of the Corn III: Urban Harvest (1995) in a non-speaking role, and later in 2 Days in the Valley (1996) with his first speaking role. And the rest, as they say, is history.

After that, she continued working in films such as The Devil's Advocate (1997), Mighty Joe Young (1998), The Cider House Rules (1999), and Men of Honor (2000). However, her breakthrough came with Monster (2003), a role for which she became the first South African to win the Oscar for Best Actress.

Since then, his career includes hits such as The Italian Job (2003), Head in the Clouds (2004), Hancock (2008), Snow White and the Huntsman (2012), Prometheus (2012), Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Atomic Blonde (2017), Bombshell (2019), Fast X (2023) or, more recently, The Old Guard 2 (2025).

Regarding her personal life, Charlize Theron has always been known for her private life. However, some of her romances are well-known, such as her relationship with Stuart Townsend, her subsequent relationship with Sean Penn, which was speculated to end in engagement, and her brief relationship with musician Stephan Jenkins.

But the actress, in an interview with Glamour, was candid about her preferences: “I haven't had a partner for many years and I've never wanted to get married. It's not something I find difficult because that desire was never within me.”

Of course, that hasn't stopped her from being a mother to two daughters, adopted in 2012 and 2015. In an interview with Elle, the actress stated that for her, "there's no difference between raising an adopted child and a biological one: I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything." Something she's been clear about from the start: "Adopting was always my first choice, even when I had a partner."

The actress recently found herself embroiled in controversy for her remarks on the podcast "Call Her Daddy," where she admitted to having a profile on a dating app and recounted one of her recent experiences.

“I've probably had three one-night stands in my life, but I recently slept with a 26-year-old guy, and it was really amazing… I'd never done that before, and I thought, 'Oh, this is so cool.'” The age difference between the actress and the young man has led to harsh criticism in some media outlets and on the internet.

However, oblivious to the criticism, she remains focused on her daughters and her work. For now, she recently confirmed that she will be part of Christopher Nolan's next film, The Odyssey, based on the Homeric classic: "It's super intimidating," she told Variety about the pressure and weight of her role, as she will play Circe herself.

According to Charlize Theron, success "is different for everyone," or so she explained to Telva. She's reached her milestone and has reason to celebrate her half-century, although ostentation probably isn't part of it.

"I'm not one for big events or parties; I enjoy the simplicity of the little things," he said. And now, it's his turn to celebrate.