Biografía

When she was age 15, her father attacked her mother, and her mother shot back and killed him. The shooting was legally adjudged to have been self-defense, and her mother was not charged in the incident.

After winning her Oscar, she returned to great celebrations in her native South Africa, and she even met former South African President Nelson Mandela. When he praised her for putting their country on the map and gave her a hug, Theron broke into tears (she was guest of honor at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg on March 11, 2004).

Always speaks Afrikaans with her mother, who resides two minutes from her in Los Angeles. They have matching fish tattoos.

Suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to the extent that, if renting a house/hotel room during a movie shoot, cannot relax until she has explored every closet, locker and drawer in the premises.

At age 16, she won a modeling competition to go to Milan, Italy, and work on the catwalks and, at age 18, won a scholarship to study ballet at the Joffrey School in New York. She turned to acting only because she injured both knees, dashing any hopes of a ballet career.

[on the revelation that her mother shot and killed her father while he was in a drunken rage, which was ruled self-defense] I was always Mama's girl, and I always felt like her protector.

Women have conquered the world. And with everything we go through, it's about time we had a female president. I don't think we're that far away, but it should have happened already. I wouldn't be surprised if Hillary Clinton runs - I really admire her.

I've always been very proud to be a South African and I've always been very honest to people about that. And whatever I can do in my power, I promise you, I will do. I don't think it's too much pressure. I think it's our duty as citizens of this country. You don't have to win an Oscar to do something good for your country. We all can do that. If I can be an encouragement for that I'll be glad to be that.

I'm 50-50 on glamour stuff. I'd rather put on a pair of jeans and get on my Harley and act like a guy.

I think of myself as a highly sexual creature. I have to use that. I have no choice. I like it. I didn't grow up with a mother telling me what was under my clothes was bad or evil.