When it comes to film, Charlize Theron also thrives on action: an uppercut here in Atomic Blonde (a sequel has been announced), another there in Mad Max, Fury Road or in F9. In The Old Guard, she plays an immortal with style in incredible physical shape. She also demonstrates her versatility by choosing more demanding roles, at times requiring a full transformation. In 2004, she won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Silver Bear for Best Actress in Patty Jenkins’s Monster, the story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos. The actress appeared unrecognizable having gained an extra 30 pounds. In 2018, she did it again in Jason Reitman’s Tully, putting on another 50 pounds to play the role of a young mother: “I had to live with that weight for almost two years. At 40, it’s harder to lose weight than at 20!” she told ELLE France in 2018. In 2019, she starred in and co-produced the drama Bombshell, for which she has been nominated for yet another Oscar.
What is your relationship with time?
Time is precious. It’s the one thing you can’t buy more of. We’re all going to get what we’re going to get and it’s therefore the most precious thing that we have. And also, just not knowing when our time will be done, or what we get to share and leave behind as a legacy or time spent with our kids. I really do think it is the most valuable thing on the face of this earth. So, I cherish it. I don’t take it for granted. When I was younger, I was in a rush because I didn’t know how much time I had. And now in my older age, I really feel the value of slowing down and really acknowledging the time that I have with my children, with people that I love and the time that I have to do things that really matter to me, to not waste it!
“As an actor, your biggest fear is always that… somehow people will forget about you.”
You are a member of the new Breitling Squad, alongside Misty Copeland and Yao Chen for the new best UK Breitling Chronomat replica watches. Is it important, for you, to belong to a community?
Yes. It’s part of the human condition to want to feel like you have a community. You can also belong to many different communities. Maybe the importance of that is there’s a benefit for us humans in having multiple interests. Community really encourages that through support and acceptance. So, in that sense, I do think it is important. People who might not feel like they have a community may find it very lonely.
How did this collaboration with cheap online Breitling fake watches start?
I was approached when we did the first campaign. Adam Driver and Brad Pitt had already signed on. And I’m just a massive fan of both of them. I really liked the concept of the campaign. There was something about Adam, Brad and me, and what Peter Lindbergh had thought about conceptually, that to me felt like it had a real, sincere quality to it. This company has been making Swiss made replica Breitling watches store since 1884 and have created something that felt very much in line with the times.
What do you like the most about the Chronomat replica watches for sale by Breitling?
We don’t live in a time where we have to wear top AAA fake watches so, luxury Breitling copy watches is incredibly smart. There is an understanding that consumers don’t have to wear this super clone watches with Swiss movements, so instead they ask: “Why don’t we design something that they would want to put on their arm?” That’s how I feel about the watch. There’s a modern quality to the design, not to mention the great technical aspects of the best Swiss replica watches. It’s classic, it’s modern. It doesn’t dictate how your day should go or what you should wear.
You are a true activist and fight for several causes, including inclusivity, diversity, LGBTQIA+ community. You even created your own foundation, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, in 2007. What prompted you to found it?
I was born and raised in South Africa. I went through my young teenage years being very much affected by the AIDS epidemic that really brought my country to its knees, and in many regards, is still bringing my country to its knees. I saw a lot of people who died from AIDS unnecessarily, there was so little to be known. The emergency of the AIDS epidemic was so tremendous in the late ’80s and ’90s that by the time we came to the 2000s we had a huge support in ARVs for people who were already positive. But what I realized was that there was a real gap and need in prevention. South Africa, in particular, was a country that lost an entire generation of parents. We had a young generation growing up, if they were lucky, with one parent or a grandparent, and the old traditions, really got in the way of modern medicine and just understanding how this virus was contracted and spreading. There really weren’t many organizations focusing on that prevention care so that’s why I wanted to start a foundation.
And what are its current projects?
The focus of CTAOP has really changed in the last 15 years. Initially, its aim was to fill that void of prevention care but when you start working in this field you come to realize really quickly that trying to stop AIDS is not an insular case. You have to look at it holistically. You have to understand that there are so many other drivers that really influence a community, which can lead to a higher risk of becoming HIV positive. So, we look at education and community engagement, namely at higher education, really finding those students who do not have the access to it. We are truly searching for the leaders of our future, which is important for Africa and also globally. We are definitely an organization that focuses on young people and their futures.
In the wake of the worldwide pandemic, did you anticipate that the situation would get worse?
It opened another can of worms. As we were checking in with all of our organizations that we support, the biggest thing that came back to us was gender-based violence. Women and young girls are the ones who suffer the most and fall through the cracks. We really believe that there’s a lot of hope for women if we can give them access and a seat at the table. What was life-saving for some of us, staying home, was really a death sentence to a lot of people who were living with abusers. I really truly talk about this all the time. So yes, COVID made everything really hard, but it also brought communities together. We were all in this together. It made it easier to reach out and meant people really wanted to support organizations like CTAOP.
After a long and busy day like yours, how do you unwind?
Well, sometimes my day goes on until I literally just get in bed and go to sleep. Having children, there’s not a lot of alone time to sit and ponder your thoughts. And I sometimes fall asleep right next to one of my daughters. It’s that kind of exhaustion. Otherwise, I love to connect with my friends over dinner or have a glass of wine. That is incredibly relaxing. It gives me great joy!