Known for her iconic performances on-screen, Charlize Theron has taken on several demanding roles throughout her career. One of them, even caused a brief feud with her co-star Tom Hardy, a conflict they have since resolved.
However, there is another role that presented a unique challenge to the actress. The role was that of the former Fox News star Megyn Kelly, who she portrayed in the Oscar-winning film Bombshell.
Starring Charlize Theron alongside Margot Robbie and Nicole Kidman, the 2019 film Bombshell is based on the courageous efforts of the women at Fox News. This includes journalists Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, who exposed the company’s former CEO Roger Ailes for s*xual harassment.
Charlize Theron Opened Up About the Complexity of Her Role in Bombshell
Charlize Theron, who played Megyn Kelly in Bombshell, has shared the movie posed a challenge to her due to the stark contrast between her and Kelly’s ideologies. The Megyn Kelly Show host has been the subject of many controversies from defending racist actions to her offensive comments about gay people. She even went on to bash Theron after she defended drag queens.
While the Fast X star certainly does not share the same views as her, she still did not want to disregard the positive and impactful aspects of Megyn Kelly’s life and career. Talking about the significance of the story told in the movie, Theron shared in an interview with Deadline,
“I had to realize that, even through all this stuff, this was a person that did something really incredible, and I couldn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”
The actress also shared that although it “doesn’t negate other things” for her, she highlighted the need to separate personal perspectives from the character she portrayed, stating that such aspects should not overshadow the broader story that the movie aimed to tell.
Charlize Theron Shared Playing Megyn Kelly Was Harder
Charlize Theron has shared that portraying the controversial news personality in the 2029 movie was more challenging than her Oscar-winning role in the 2003 biographical crime drama Monster. “This was harder,” she shared, as per Variety.
The actress also shared that she felt pressured while playing a well-recognized personality. “She’s incredibly well known,” she said before adding, “I’ve played real people that nobody knows about, so there was less pressure when I did those.” Despite her concerns, Theron, along with her co-stars, received praise for their performances in the film that earned three Oscar nominations at the 92nd Academy Awards. Bombshell won the Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Bombshell is available to stream on Peacock.
