'I Feel Proud Of The Things That I Said “No” To': Charlize Theron

Movie star. Producer. Founder of her own charity. The face of Breitling’s new Chronomat campaign. The villain dean in the upcoming Netflix film, ‘The School for Good and Evil’. As Charlize Theron savors her motherhood, she breaks barriers on and off screen, aiming to change mentalities. Zoom conversation against the clock

- Virginie Dolata

It’s 9am in Los Angeles. It’s time for my zoom meeting with Charlize Theron. Her voice is clear, pure, cheerful. Perhaps she is even smiling. But I wouldn’t know as the screen is black! Woof... A dog? She apologises and gets up to open the door. He wants to go out.

To her many fans, Charlize Theron is the epitome of beauty and femininity, transformed into an ethereal goddess for Dior’s “J’adore” fragrance. In Breitling’s new Chronomat campaign, she is a woman of commitment. Her reality. Alongside African-American prima ballerina Misty Copeland and Chinese actress Yao Chen, they form a trio of women recognised for breaking the rules and confronting stereotypes and boundaries of all kinds with style and conviction.

It is not a well-known fact that, since 2009, Charlize Theron has been a respected messenger of peace for the United Nations and a tireless campaigner committed to social issues. In 2007, she created her own foundation, ‘Charlize Theron Outreach Project for Africa’ which supports the African youth in the fight against HIV/AIDS and other causes. Last year, her charity launched ‘Together for Her’, a global campaign against domestic violence, which has risen significantly during the pandemic across the globe. Theron also fights for the LGBTQIA+ community, having stated in the past that she would not remarry until same-sex marriage was legalised in the US. Finally, she spoke out during the #MeToo movement, disclosing on NPR (National Public Radio) that she was sexually harassed by a director a few years ago.

When it comes to film, Theron also thrives on action: an uppercut here in ‘Atomic Blonde’ (N°2 has been announced), another there in