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Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire

Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire
Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire

Charlize Theron in character for Mad Max: Fury Road as Imperator Furiosa. Photo: Roadshow

Charlize Theron first came to the world’s attention in 1998 as the beautiful blonde in Mighty Joe Young. But the former model refuses to be stereotyped, famously keeping us guessing with her artistic film choices throughout her career –taking home an Oscar for her portrayal of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster (a movie she also produced).

She recently met her romantic match in fiery Sean Penn, 54 and gossip about an engagement never ceases. (At this meeting in Los Angeles, her wedding finger is bare, two antique silver filigree and diamond rings teasing on her right hand).

This month, the 39-year-old stars as Imperator Furiosa in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road, a new chapter in the post-apocalyptic trilogy which famously launched Mel Gibson into stardom.

Marie Claire: Are you as tough as you appear on screen?
Charlize Theron: I don’t think of myself as tough. I think there’s something in my personality that likes a challenge and can cope in tough circumstances. I want to believe if push came to shove I would pull it together and survive.

MC: How important is it to be physically strong?
CT: I like feeling physically capable. I put on nine kilograms of muscle for Mad Max. I wanted to have tremendous upper-body strength because there was so much physicality in the movie. I hate that idea of scrawny little girls fighting men off and winning, so I did a lot of upper-body yoga. I did inversions [upside down poses] three times a day. I look like a football player in this movie. But I like feeling strong and capable and I like that I can pick up my kid and throw him in the air.

MC: Does keeping up with Jackson (her three and a half year old adopted son) require a lot of stamina?
CT: Yes, he’s a big boy. I got myself a boy that’s going to keep me on my toes for a very long time.

Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire
Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire

Charlize with co-stars Riley Keogh and Nicholas Hoult on the set of Mad Max: Fury Road. Photo: Roadshow

MC: How involved do you want to be when he starts going to school?
CT: My mum was incredible in the sense that she was very involved with me when I came home from school, wanting to know what I was being taught. But if I got in trouble at school, she would never show up and I would think “Wow she really just doesn’t care.” But now as I get older, I realise it’s the greatest gift a parent can give their child. You learn there are consequences to certain actions and your parent isn’t always going to be there to bail you out.

MC: Because some parents really cosset their kids…
CT: My mum always says, “He’s going to fall, but he’ll only fall once and then he’ll learn not to do that again.” There is this live and learn philosophy, maybe [it’s] South African, [that goes] it’s good to learn at any age. Even in the younger vibe of our industry, people mess up and expecting special treatment and no normal consequences for bad actions that everybody else gets, I never understood that. And parents stepping forward and having press conferences. I just think that’s so damaging because really what you’re saying is that you get a free card to be a complete asshole for the rest of your life, and I just don’t want that for my son.

MC: Power to you.
CT: I’m not trying to brag. I’ll mess up somewhere else. Trust me. And everybody will be like “God did you see her do that?” But I do think there’s something great in those values.

Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire
Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire

Charlize with Tom Hardy, Mad Max himself. Photo: Roadshow

MC: How did you feel about shaving off your hair for Mad Max?
CT: It felt great. We were going to make this movie several times and every time there was a whole different look. Finally I called George [Miller] and it was maybe 3am for him and said, “I need to buzz my head.” Then of course everybody hated me because it set the tone for the War Boys, so about a thousand guys and girls had to shave their heads and the guys were worse than the girls. The big heavy stunt guys were like “I don’t wanna shave my hair.” They were very upset.

MC: Have you met the original Mad Max, Mel Gibson?
CT: It’s so weird after all these years, I’ve never met him.

MC: Did you watch any of the original films?
CT: I saw them when I was a kid, but I never run back to the original material otherwise you’re going “Oh my god, am I being Tina Turner right now?”

MC: Your son was a baby when he came with you on the Mad Max set in Namibia, wasn’t he?
CT: Yes, he was just under three months old, a tiny little nugget. He was really great, he’s just a cool kid, he really is, I’m sorry, my kid is so cool.

MC: Does he have a cameo?
CT: No, [but] he was our little mascot. He was passed around like a little love ball all day. He loved the girls; they’d put him on the lunch table and he would sit in the middle watching them eat, just drooling over the girls. I’d be thinking, ‘That’s my boy!’

Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire
Mad Max Exclusive: Charlize Theron Speaks To Marie Claire

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MC: How do you feel about getting older?
CT: Early on, I felt like I had to prove myself. We all have to do that. But I don’t feel that much different. I feel happier. I feel wiser. I’m at peace more. Maybe I’m just an asshole!

MC: And specifically about turning 40 in August?
CT: I’m not like, ‘Oh my God, I’m 40!’ I feel like it’s just another season. I don’t understand what the fuss is. Do I look in the mirror and see things changing? Of course, but that’s the joy of all of this. I don’t want to get stuck in the same place. And I’m not saying it’s easy. I can see the struggles of women. I really can.

MC: You have 18 films currently in development. What are you doing?!
CT: My son is asking that same question! I took many years off acting, there were three-year periods where I didn’t act at all and I would produce and develop instead. I feel blessed to be in a position where I don’t have to go and work to put food on the table.

MC: Why did you take the time off?
CT: I just wasn’t looking for anything. There’s a lot more to life than just making movies. People forget that. There’s family and there’s relationships and my job has never been my number one priority. There were periods when I just wanted to be with my family; I wanted to travel; I wanted to do other things. I wanted to have children. I was in a relationship. Those things are way more important.

MC: You seem fearless. Is that a fair call?
CT: I don’t think of myself as fearless. I’m a pussy in real life. There were moments on this movie where I was like, “I’m not doing that. Sorry.” I did all that [stunt] stuff in my twenties. I’m trying to learn from those mistakes. I’m a mother of a child, and I make movies, [but] I don’t have to turn this car over three times [and] make it roll. There’s got to be another way, because I’d like to go home tonight to my kid.

Mad Max: Fury Road hits cinemas today

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