Charlize Theron

At the age of 15, Charlize witnessed the shooting of her drunkard father by her mother. Chalize immersed herself in her passion, ballet dancing. On a whim, she entered a national modelling competition which to her surprise she won. She travelled to Europe, where she enjoyed some success as a runway model. At the age of 18, when a magazine flew her out to New York for a photo shoot, Charlize decided to stay on to study ballet at the Joffrey Ballet School. Sadly a serious knee injury ended Charlize's ballet ambitions.

Charlize decided to try her luck in Hollywood. A chance encounter with a acting agent (when Charlize was throwing a tantrum at a bank), led to her first successful audition, for a part in 2 Days in The Valley. More parts followed, and Charlize's reputation grew. In 2003, 8 years after arriving in Hollywood, Charlize won an Oscar for her part in Monster (portraying serial killer Aileen Wuornos).