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.

In 2010, Theron ended her nine-year relationship with her Head in the Clouds costar Stuart Townsend. Most recently, the actress has been linked to Ryan Reynolds.