Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron and I could’ve been sisters in another life.  Mostly because of our similar physicality, and names that scream star power.  Says the girl who ate cotton candy ice cream for breakfast, and whose parents named her after a letter.  An infuriating, vague letter at that.

Nor Charlize or I have any sisters of course, we are only children.  Very different upbringings, very different surroundings, yet alike in so many ways.  She grew up in South Africa, and didn’t come to the US until she was 18 to dance ballet in New York.  She was also a model, although I have never found her quite as stunning as most people do. There were so many beautiful actresses coming into the scene in the 90’s, she just never stood out to me.

She got her big break in 1994, when she did just about the most OCS thing ever, she threw a tantrum.  At a bank trying to cash a check her mother had given her, after just moving to Los Angeles. Unlike most of us, her fit somehow didn’t make her look like an immature baby.  Instead it portrayed that of a gorgeous person who could act? I’m not quite sure if that Hollywood manager needed more than her look, I think the raised voice only helped the matter. 

Within a year she began booking decent roles, for someone who didn’t have an acting background.  It wasn’t until the early 2000’s that I knew who she was, probably because I was too young to previously.  However, I first became interested in Charlize a mere 2 years ago. In 2017 I found out she was good friends with Chelsea Handler, my main bitch.  

via GIPHY

She was promoting the Netflix show she produced Girlboss, about another one of my girl crushes Sophia Amoruso.  There was something familiar in her demeanor, she was so matter of fact and without boundary.  Things were so, because she made them that way. She managed to overpower the outspoken Ms. Handler even, and that was no easy feat.  

I had to know more about this woman.  If Chelsea was a fan, so was I. So I watched Monster, and I was surprised.  I had heard of her talent in the film, but I underestimated how raw she was. I rewatched the Italian Job, and my girl boner grew for Ms. Theron.  She was fearless, she went places others were too scared to. To gain weight, to perform technical driving stunts, to be “unladylike,” to simply not give a fuck.  

She once said “I just woke up one day, and I could.”  That stuck with me, because I felt exactly the same way.  

Being alone forces you to try, to not depend on others.  Charlize had an alcoholic abusive father, who eventually was killed by her mother in an act of self defense.  Many only children come from broken families, and were raised by a single mother. Her childhood was not an easy one, and lacked a support system.  She was isolated as they lived on a farm, and her best friend was a goat named Bok (the Afrikaans word for goat).  My best friends were often my pets as well.  Except only simple cats and dogs, far less interesting than a goat.

Charlize doesn’t make new friends easily, and has been in feuds with many actors she worked with.  She’s picky about her roles, and who she wants to costar alongside. In interviews she is known to be combative at times, about what journalists may write about her.  Her personality fits in well with Chelsea’s crew, perhaps she struggles with a lack of empathy as well?  Same sis.  

She has struggled with romantic relationships, and has been single for a lot of her adult life.  Very set in her ways, and unwilling to compromise in what should be a partnership. I don’t really find anything wrong with her being single this long, and the fact people always point it out about her feels sexist.  She ignores the rules of proper female celebrity behavior. It’s something I believe should be applauded.  

I write about my defiance of the stereotypical roles women play in society in You Blithering Idiot (coming soon).  I even discuss the expectations I felt to speak a certain way, and in a certain tone in Use Your Voice (also coming soon).  The less of a norm it becomes, the farther from true the expectation is.

Charlize is using her independence in a way that empowers women to live as if others’ opinions don’t matter.  As if you have always been responsible for your own destiny. A simple act of resistance can change your life forever.  Even an OCS flare up in a bank. Being yourself whether looked down upon or not, will more than likely lead to your success. 

Be proud of the OCS tendencies Ms. Theron, they are precisely what people love about you.

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