“A whirlwind of sexual energy”: Thor Director Predicted Charlize Theron’s Rise To Fame After Her Role in Woody Allen’s Critically Panned 1998 Film 

Thor Director Predicted Charlize Theron’s Rise To Fame After Her Role in Woody Allen’s Critically Panned 1998 Film 
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Charlize Theron is accustomed to receiving media attention because she has been successful for many years. Given her talent, it is possible that she has gone through enough obstacles and setbacks in her acting career. Few actresses in the industry today are able to match what she does on camera. She is currently one of the most successful actresses in the industry, and we do not see that changing anytime soon.

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There are only a handful of instances where someone has the uncanny foresight to predict the trajectory of rising talent in the vast world of Hollywood, where stars are born and legends are made. And Kenneth Branagh, who directed Thor, did a good job of capturing this talent of predicting Theron’s stardom early in her career. 

Thus, Branagh is talented enough to recognize the Hancock actress’ meteoric rise to fame following her performance in Woody Allen’s movie Celebrity.

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Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron

Also read:“The threats are real”: Charlize Theron’s Small Role in Fast X Says More About Fast and Furious 11 Than the Fans Realize

Kenneth Branagh’s Prediction Of Charlize Theron’s Rise To Fame Was Correct

Charlize Theron, one of Hollywood’s most talented actresses at the moment, has a real talent for picking roles that allow her to showcase her acting prowess. Years ago, she came to become a force on the big screen, and watching her career develop has been incredible for moviegoers.

Kenneth Branagh, who co-starred with Theron in Celebrity, was unable to ignore her exceptional talent that was on display while filming the 1998 Woody Allen film. He saw her as having great potential and predicted that she would have a bright future after finishing their joint project.

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The Guardian cited the Thor director as saying: 

“Charlize is a whirlwind of sexual energy. I hate to burden people with expectations but Charlize seems to me an effortless star presence. She’s fearless, beguiling, a big card player and quite a hoot.”

With Kenneth Branagh and Charlize Theron during the production of "Celebrity".
With Kenneth Branagh and Charlize Theron during the production of “Celebrity”.

What did the Oscar-winning actress have to say about herself? As she explained (via The Guardian):

“I think of myself as a very sexual creature. I have to use that. I have no choice. I didn’t grow up with my mother telling me what was under my clothes was bad or evil.”

The 1998 comedy-drama film, written and directed by Woody Allen, discussed the various directions a couple goes in after getting divorced. However, the movie was a commercial failure and received mixed reviews from critics.

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Also read:“She would probably have been chewed up”: Charlize Theron Owes Her Career To Sharon Stone’s ‘Basic Instinct’ Director For His One Decision That Saved Her Life

The Evolution of Charlize Theron from Model to Actress

With a one-year contract in Salerno, Charlize Theron formally launched her modeling career at the age of 16. She moved to New York City to pursue what she liked and enroll in the Joffrey School of Ballet in the hopes that she would one day become a skilled dancer. The actress described how she felt virtually hopeless about her career in an interview with The New York Times:

“I went to New York for three days to model, and then I spent a winter in New York in a friend’s windowless basement apartment. I was broke, I was taking class at the Joffrey Ballet, and my knees gave out.”

Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron

Her mother inspired her to make a new step toward her goals despite the difficulties she was then facing. She told The New York Times :

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“I realized I couldn’t dance anymore, and I went into a major depression. My mom came over from South Africa and said, ‘Either you figure out what to do next or you come home, because you can sulk in South Africa.’”

She did not play the main character in Sleepwalking, but rather a devoted but neglectful mother. The majority of actresses would typically choose to play the lead role, who is typically more sympathetic. But, the Snow White and the Huntsman actress did not feel that way as she shared with The New York Times:

“This was not a vehicle for me. Actors are pretty self-obsessed, but this was a great movie that came to me but was not about me. I’m interested in the human condition, and this was one of those stories. I felt I had to get this film made: my mother has a philosophy, and that is, ‘You’re on your deathbed’, you don’t want to be saying, ‘Why didn’t I?’”

Charlize Theron
Charlize Theron

It turns out that Theron always had the ability, and that she was able to make a name for herself relatively early in her career. Theron will next be seen in an upcoming superhero film, The Old Guard 2, helmed by Victoria Mahoney. The film, also starring Marwan Kenzari, KiKi Layne, Luca Marinelli, and Matthias Schoenaerts, among others, is set to be released later this year.

You can stream Celebrity on FuboTV. 

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Also read: “Hollywood turned their backs on her”: Sharon Stone’s ‘Basic Instinct’ Director Failed to Protect His $45M Erotic Film Actress That Nearly Went to Charlize Theron

Source- The Guardian; The New York Times 

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Written by Siddhika Prajapati

Articles Published: 1415

Between everyday normalities and supernatural abnormalities, Siddhika Prajapati finds the story in everything. Literature Honors Graduate and Post-Graduated in Journalism (from Delhi University), her undying need to deduce the extraordinary out of simplicity makes her a vibrant storyteller.

Serving as a Senior Entertainment Writer at Fandom Wire and having written over 1400 pieces, Siddhika has also worked with multiple clients and projects over the years, including Indian Express, India Today, and Outlook Group.

Who knows, maybe your next favorite persona on the screen will be crafted by her.