Charlize Theron (born August 7, 1975 in Benoni, Transvaal Province, South Africa,) is an actress, film producer and former fashion model. Theron attended Putfontein Primary School (Laerskool Putfontein). At the age of 13, Theron was sent to boarding school and began her studies at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg. At the age of 16, Theron travelled to Milan on a one-year modeling contract, after winning a local competition. She went to New York with Pauline's Model Management. She decided to remain after her contract ended, attending the Joffrey Ballet School, where she trained as a ballet dancer. A knee injury closed this career path when Theron was 19. She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in 2 Days in the Valley, Mighty Joe Young, The Devil's Advocate and The Cider House Rules. She received critical acclaim and an Academy Award for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film Monster, for which she became the first African to win an Academy Award in a major acting category. She received another Academy Award nomination for her performance in North Country. Theron resides in the Los Angeles area. Her former partner of almost a decade, Irish actor Stuart Townsend (with whom she starred in the 2004 film Head in the Clouds as well as in the 2002 film Trapped), has moved to their co-owned property in Malibu. The couple split up in January 2010. Theron became a naturalised citizen of the United States in May 2007. She signed with William Morris Endeavour in 2009 and is represented by CEO Ari Emanuel. Theron is involved in women's rights organizations, and has marched in pro-choice rallies. She is also a supporter of animal rights and active member of PETA. She appeared in a PETA ad for their anti-fur campaign, an active supporter of Democracy Now! and Link TV, a supporter of same-sex marriage and attended a march in Fresno, California on 30 May 2009. In July 2009, it was announced that Theron's Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) would form a coalition with LAFC Soccer Club to give soccer fields to rural areas in South Africa. With the 2010 FIFA World Cup on African soil for the very first time, CTAOP wants to put a spotlight on the urgent need to provide sustainable health, education and recreational resources to remote areas where HIV/AIDS rates are unacceptably high.
