Show with Gexda often supervising tough men doing very rough work “Africa is hard on women Theron says “and they have to get tough to survive it” ' Sometimes Gerda bundled her sleepy baby into the truck at 3 am to drive great distances into the bush and change spark plugs on aioad grader “She cooked every meal for us” Theron says “made most ' ofmyckxhes and rm the business from the garage” describes her father as “emotionally She adds “He was definitely a man But he had problems and the biggest was that he was an alcoholic My parents were in an unhappy marriage in a society where divorce wasn’t an option” Theron remembers the emotional fireworks: “I just kind of grew up in in I thought that was what parents did— fight a lot” Charlize wanted to study ballet and her mother encouraged her to go to an boarding school when she was 13 “I think my mom was really relieved to get me out ofthe house” she says She was 15 and home for a visit on June 21 1991 when Charles staggered in from a weekend of binge drinking and attacked his wife Gerda got a gun and shoe him to death It was deemed and no charges were filed Charlize was there some accounts said Gerda was protecting her and that Charles Theron arts-orient- ed ' self-defen- se ' "I Both women are reluctant to discuss the details of that horrible moment? I'd have the “It’s hard enough to live through something like that” Ther on says “I couldn’t (Ml don't think had a shotgun relive it for public consumption” " Shortly after the death Goda pushed her gtievitig daughter ' survival skills '' if she hadn't pushed me out into the world at 16" lark she had entered Charlize in a modeling contest She won a contract in Italy “Sending me away t death of my father’ my mom is saying “Go and make a better life for yourself? I NUMDf FeaauAEY 1 based on a teal person “I just ’ She cook a few acting workshops but could not get an agmc or a Callback on auditions for commercials owing laigely to her heavy Afrikaaner accent “I fell into a deep depression” she says “I was running out of money and staying in the basement of one of my modeling agents b was winter I’d just locked myself up in this hole” In flew Gerda front South Africa to comfort and cuff hief' frightened cub “She was very harsh” Theron recalls “She said Til get you a basement r back home and you can go ay-i- n there Orif you want to change things you’re going to have to do k’” Gerda paid for a plane ticket to Hollywood and Charlize creature iri films with st 17 Dqip Robert De Niro and Aa kala thaftarad Ofphan (Fooay MaQuba) laani aboutlha toovkl At Mi in Ima with him 4a MiywijvnvvwivjiijwVMpi Shehakaaheiitgangaeakrvangafcr a Job gam bad and her dad's daath (wMi Marie WMbarg R and Jaaon Stathantf ud Chariba at a HoNywood Oacar party 2004 PAGES h 2000 Kami tapped into something emotionally with her” she adds “I know what everyone’s ' chinking This was really dose to home and influenced why I chose it But that’s definitely not ' the case I gave the script to my mom and we never talked about anything like that” Theron will admit that she drew on her own darker emotional experiences to do the job but will not elabr orateThar would be the magician giving the trick away” Theron took no salaryas she put die film’s the money back into the project “Patty and I knew the material walked a fine line between being brilliant or completely ridiculous There were lots of times I wasn’t sure what we were doing” She' laughs “Btit I guess that could describe much of my journey to this point” Hollywood once so foreign now repre- sents happiness and home: “The years IVe done this have been such a great gift I’ve met some incredible John- - A-li- Garda off-too- not know the character was desk-slappi- ng was the bravest thing she ever did” Theron says “Right at this awful moment the Hollywood hills frit it was time for an d adventure When her manager gave her writer director Patty Jenkins’ script for Monster Theron says she did ing hec accent by watching TV incessantly She modeled and again tried to get a theatrical agent The rejections “just rolled off myback” she says Then one tty whenabonk refused to cash her final check from aNewYock modeling job shesnapped An agent standing in line was intrigued by Theron’s hissy fit and gave her his stomping ' card She called him and landed some small pattsj-- as an extra in QMdrimqfd Com Iff and asizziing vamp opposkejames Spader in 2 Daysm the VAy She continued tp get the types of roles expected of sudi a fair - BV ’ arrived with nearly empty pockets and one platinum asset: her looks Bunking in a seedy motel die worked at los- from ' the nest Months earlier as a (AT at my life now and I don’t think I’d have had the survival skills if she hadn’t pushed me out into the wodd at 16” In Milan Theron modeled and studied dance “I always looked at modeling as kind of a waitressing job” she says “It paid the rent” When an assignment took her to New York she stayed on to follow a dream srudying at the famed Joffiey Ballet while keeping her day job as a modeL But stress on her knees from her fnme ended her dancing look one direaorputit“(3iariirehasplayedeveiybody’swifeV who likes toride a Harley throughthe Tliei Reeves As people I’m madly in love with Irish actor Stuart Townsend her beau of three yearij I lore die job I five in the mountains wihmyfour adopted stray dop My mom lives tieaiby” The two spend a lot ofrime together playing golf growing tomatoes and chili peppers and cooking for friends: Getda is eager for gtandchildrai and Char- lize is sure shell oblige-with- out having to derail her cam: “Growing up” die says Tdwatrh my mom pur an her business suit and walk into a ccxiftrenoe room with Thacwas an incredible inspiiation for me I 10 cant see mysdfbciia different parent fromrhat" Beforethe nominee leaves co face the TV arwsI have to know: How did her mocher receive the ings happy Golden Globe news? Theron laughs “Justas you’d expect She reininded me chat it took gs 36 hours of labor to push meinto the world” |