Charlize Theron is the first South African to win an Oscar for Best Actress.

Her first language is Afrikaans, but she learned to speak in the American accent by watching movies and TV shows and singing along to American songs on the radio.

Charlize had a traumatic childhood as her mother shot dead Charlize's alcoholic father in 1991 when he attacked both of them.

Growing up, Charlize wanted to be a ballet dancer but a knee injury at the age of 19 crushed her dreams.

However she later went on to be a popular actress which earned Charlize a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame in September of 2005.