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Charlize Theron (; born 7 August 1975) is a South African actress, film producer and former fashion model.

She rose to fame in the late 1990s following her roles in ''2 Days in the Valley'', ''Mighty Joe Young'', ''The Devil's Advocate'' and ''The Cider House Rules''. She received critical acclaim and an Academy Award for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the film ''Monster'', for which she became the first South African to win an Academy Award in a major acting category. She received another Academy Award nomination for her performance in ''North Country''.

Early life

Although fluent in English, her first language is Afrikaans. She grew up on her parents' farm in Benoni, near Johannesburg. Her father died on 21 June 1991, after he was shot by Theron's mother. Theron's father, who suffered from alcoholism, physically attacked her mother and threatened both women while being drunk. The shooting was legally adjudged to have been self-defence and her mother faced no charges.

Theron attended Putfontein Primary School (Laerskool Putfontein). At the age of thirteen, Theron was sent to boarding school and began her studies at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg.

Career

Unable to dance, Theron flew to Los Angeles on a one-way ticket her mother bought her. During her early months there, she went to a bank to cash a cheque her mother had sent her to help with the rent. When the teller refused to cash it, Theron immediately started a shouting match with her. Afterwards, a talent agent in line behind her handed her his business card and subsequently introduced her to some casting agents and also an acting school. She later fired him as her manager after he kept sending her scripts for films similar to ''Showgirls'' and ''Species''. After several months in the city, she was cast in her first film part, a non-speaking role in the direct-to-video film ''Children of the Corn III'' (1995). Her fist speaking role was a supporting but significant part in ''2 Days in the Valley''. Larger roles in widely released Hollywood films followed, and her career expanded in the late 1990s with box office successes like ''The Devil's Advocate'' (1997), ''Mighty Joe Young'' (1998), and ''The Cider House Rules'' (1999). She was on the cover of the January 1999 issue of ''Vanity Fair'' as the "White Hot Venus".

After appearing in a few notable films, Theron starred as the serial killer Aileen Wuornos in ''Monster'' (2003). Film critic Roger Ebert called it "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema". For this role, Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress at the 76th Academy Awards in February 2004, as well as the SAG Award and the Golden Globe Award. She is the first South African to win an Oscar for Best Actress. The Oscar win pushed her to ''The Hollywood Reporter's'' 2006 list of highest-paid actresses in Hollywood; earning $10,000,000 for both her subsequent films, ''North Country'' and ''Æon Flux'', she ranked seventh, behind Halle Berry, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Renée Zellweger, Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman.

On 30 September 2005, Theron received her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In the same year, she starred in the financially unsuccessful science fiction thriller ''Æon Flux''.

Theron received Best Actress Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for her lead performance in the drama ''North Country''. ''Ms.'' magazine also honoured her for this performance with a feature article in its Fall 2005 issue. She also received the 2005 Spike Video Game Award for Best Performance by a Human Female for her voiceover work in the Æon Flux video game.

In 2005 Theron portrayed Rita, Michael Bluth's (Jason Bateman) love interest, on the third season of Fox's critically acclaimed television series ''Arrested Development''. She also received Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for her role of Britt Ekland in the 2004 HBO movie ''The Life and Death of Peter Sellers''.

In 2008 Theron was named the Hasty Pudding Theatricals Woman of the Year. That year she also starred with Will Smith in ''Hancock'', a film that grossed $227.9M in the U.S. and $396.4M internationally, and in late 2008 she was asked to be a UN Messenger of Peace by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

In October 2009, Theron was cast to star in a sequel to the ''Mad Max'' films, titled ''Mad Max: Road Fury'', which will commence filming at Broken Hill in New South Wales, Australia in late 2010.

On 4 December 2009, Theron co-presented the draw for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Cape Town, South Africa, accompanied by several other celebrities of South African origin. During rehearsals she drew an Ireland ball instead of France as a joke at the expense of FIFA, referring to Thierry Henry's handball controversy in the play off match between France and Ireland. The stunt alarmed FIFA enough for it to fear she might do it again in front of a live global audience.

As reported on Piers Morgan Tonight on 2 July 2011, Theron's movies have earned a combine total of 800 Million dollars.

Theron has been cast in the role of The Wicked Queen in ''Snow White and the Huntsman''.

Personal life

Theron became a naturalised citizen of the United States in May 2007.

She signed with William Morris Endeavour in 2009 and is represented by CEO Ari Emanuel.

Health concerns

In July 2009 Theron was diagnosed with a serious stomach virus, thought to be contracted while travelling outside the United States. She was hospitalised at Cedars-Sinai Hospital and she finished convalescing in her own home.

Promotional deals

From October 2005 to December 2006 Theron earned $3,000,000 for the use of her image in a worldwide print media advertising campaign for Raymond Weil watches. In February 2006, she and her loan-out corporation were sued by Weil for breach of contract. The lawsuit was settled on 4 November 2008.

Activism

Theron also is a supporter of animal rights and active member of PETA. She appeared in a PETA ad for their anti-fur campaign. She is a supporter of same-sex marriage and attended a march to support that in Fresno, California, on 30 May 2009.

In July 2009 it was announced that Theron's Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) would form a coalition with LAFC Soccer Club to give soccer fields to rural areas in South Africa. LAFC Chelsea, one of the United States's most successful and prominent youth soccer clubs, made a three-year commitment to help build a community-wide soccer programme for the schools in the Umkhanyakude District. This help includes uniforms, cleats, balls and equipment, along with professional training for local coaches, referees and administrators. The soccer league training will also include life-saving health education administered through a CTAOP-funded mobile health program. With the 2010 FIFA World Cup on African soil for the very first time, CTAOP wants to put a spotlight on the urgent need to provide sustainable health, education and recreational resources to remote areas where HIV/AIDS rates are unacceptably high.

Don Sheppards, president of LAFC Chelsea, said:

In December 2009, CTAOP and TOMS Shoes partnered to create a limited edition unisex shoe. The shoe was made from vegan-materials and was inspired by the African Baobab tree, whose silhouette was embroidered on blue and orange canvas. 10,000 pairs were given to destitute children, and a portion of the proceeds went direcly to CTAOP.

Filmography

References

External links

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Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in ''The Twilight Saga''. She has also starred in films including ''Panic Room'' (2002), ''Zathura'' (2005), ''In the Land of Women'' (2007), ''The Messengers'' (2007), ''Adventureland'' (2009) and ''The Runaways'' (2010).

Early life

Career

Her whole family all worked behind the camera, and Stewart thought she would become a writer/director, but never considered being an actor. "I never wanted to be the center of attention – I wasn't that 'I want to be famous, I want to be an actor' kid. I never sought out acting, but I always practiced my autograph because I love pens. I'd write my name on everything." Stewart's acting career began at the age of eight, after an agent saw her perform in her elementary school's Christmas play. After a year of auditioning, Stewart's first role was a nonspeaking part in the film ''The Thirteenth Year''. Then, she had another part in the film ''The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas'' as the "ring toss girl". She subsequently appeared in the independent film ''The Safety of Objects'', in which she played the tomboy daughter of a troubled single mother (Patricia Clarkson). Stewart had a major role in the Hollywood film ''Panic Room'', playing the diabetic daughter of a divorced mother (Jodie Foster). The film received generally positive reviews, and Stewart garnered positive notices for her performance. She was nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance.

After ''Panic Room''s success, Stewart was cast in another thriller, ''Cold Creek Manor'', playing the daughter of Dennis Quaid's and Sharon Stone's characters. She was again nominated for a Young Artist Award for her performance. The following year, she played the character Maya in ''Fierce People'', directed by Griffin Dunne. After that film, she received the lead role of Jess Solomon in the supernatural thriller film ''The Messengers''.

In 2007, Stewart appeared as teenager Lucy Hardwicke in ''In the Land of Women'', a romantic drama starring Meg Ryan and Adam Brody. The film, as well as Stewart's performance, received mixed reviews. That same year, Stewart appeared in Sean Penn's critically acclaimed adaptation film ''Into the Wild''. For her portrayal of Tracy – a teenage singer who has a crush on young adventurer Christopher McCandless – Stewart received generally positive reviews. Salon.com considered her work a "sturdy, sensitive performance", and the ''Chicago Tribune'' noted that she did "vividly well with a sketch of a role." Her performance was not without detractors, however; ''Variety'''s critic Dennis Harvey wrote, "It's unclear whether Stewart means to be playing hippie-chick Tracy as vapid, or whether it just comes off that way." After ''Into the Wild'', Stewart had a cameo appearance in ''Jumper'' and also appeared in ''What Just Happened'', which was released in October 2008. She also co-stars in ''The Cake Eaters'' an independent film that has only been screened at film festivals.

On November 16, 2007, Summit Entertainment announced that Stewart would play Isabella "Bella" Swan in the film ''Twilight'', based on Stephenie Meyer's bestselling vampire romance novel of the same name. Stewart was on the set of ''Adventureland'' when director Catherine Hardwicke visited her for an informal screen test which "captivated" the director. She stars alongside Robert Pattinson, who plays Edward Cullen, her character's vampire boyfriend. The film began production in February 2008 and finished filming in May 2008. ''Twilight'' was released domestically on November 21, 2008. Her performance garnered mixed reviews with some critcs calling her "the ideal casting choice" and praising her for conveying "Bella's detachment, as well as her need to bust through it" while others criticized her acting for being "wooden" and lacking variety in her facial expressions which they described as "blank". After the release of ''Twilight'', Kristen Stewart was awarded the MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance for her portrayal as Bella Swan.

Stewart reappeared as Bella in the sequel, ''The Twilight Saga: New Moon'' to critical acclaim, receiving much more positive reviews than her portrayal of the same character in ''Twilight''. Jordan Mintzer from ''Variety'' called Stewart "the heart and soul of the film" and praised her for giving "both weight and depth to dialogue...that would sound like typical chick-lit blather in the mouth of a less engaging actress, and she makes Bella's psychological wounds seem like the real deal" while critics who gave the film its worst reviews still found her performance "bringing plenty of soul" to the character. She reprised this role in ''The Twilight Saga: Eclipse''.

Stewart has been nominated and presented with the BAFTA Rising Star award. At the 2010 82nd Annual Academy Awards, Stewart and ''Twilight'' co-star Taylor Lautner presented a tribute in honour of the horror movie genre.

In 2009, Stewart starred in ''The Yellow Handkerchief'', which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival and was released into theaters in 2010 by Samuel Goldwyn Films. She also starred alongside James Gandolfini in ''Welcome to the Rileys'', which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010.

Stewart most recently portrayed rock star Joan Jett in ''The Runaways'', a biopic of the titular band from writer-director Floria Sigismondi. Stewart met with Jett over the 2008–2009 New Year to prepare for the role, and ended up prerecording songs in a studio for the film. She received nearly unanimous praise for her performance. Josh Tyler of ''Cinema Blend'' pronounced her to be "a modern day James Dean. She gives the kind of performance in ''The Runaways'' that hasn’t been seen on screen since his death. ''The Runaways'' is her ''Rebel Without a Cause'' ... she’s absolutely brilliant as Joan Jett." The ''Metro Times'' wrote, "It turns out that Stewart is actually really good at capturing Jett's icy, tough-but-cool girl swagger, adding the needed touches of vulnerability that transform it into a pretty terrific performance... Stewart is a genuine rock star here." Also, A. O. Scott of ''The New York Times'' noted "Ms. Stewart, watchful and unassuming, gives the movie its spine and soul."

She has been cast in the role of Mary Lou in an upcoming film adaptation of Jack Kerouac's cult classic novel ''On the Road''. Shooting began in August 2010.

Stewart was listed as the highest earning female actress in Hollywood in the "2010's Top Hollywood Top Earners List" compiled by ''Vanity Fair''. Throughout 2010, Stewart earned an estimated $28.5 million for all her movie appearances.

''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 1'' was released on November 18, 2011. The film was successful in the box office making $283.5 million its opening weekend. Though the film received negative reviews, Stewart's performance was mostly praised. Gabriel Chong said that Stewart's performance, calling it "mesmerising" and saying that she "makes [Bella's] every emotion keenly felt that runs the gamut from joy, trepidation, anxiety, distress and above all quiet and resolute determination" and the ''Village Voice'''s Dan Konis saying Stewart "beautifully underplays" the role. However, some critics found that despite Pattinson and Stewart's chemistry, the relationship came off like a "charade" or that none of the three leads were convincing in their roles.

In March 2011, it was confirmed that Stewart will playing the leading role in the film ''Snow White and the Huntsman''. Filming began on August 15 and is set to be released on June 1, 2012.

Stewart has also been attached to an upcoming big-budget, live-action adaptation of ''Akira'' from Warner Brothers for the role of Ky.

On December 6, 2011, Stewart was named number one on Forbes magazine's list of Hollywood's Best Actors for the Buck.

She was named the new face of an unnamed Balenciaga perfume on January 13, 2012.

Personal life

Filmography

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Chris Hemsworth (born 11 August 1983) is an Australian actor. He played the role of Kim Hyde in the Australian soap opera ''Home and Away'' and the titular character in the Marvel Studios film, ''Thor''. Hemsworth will portray Thor again in the upcoming film ''The Avengers''.

Early life

Career

In 2004, he auditioned for ''Home and Away'', for the part of Robbie Hunter (played by Jason Smith), but failed to get the part. He was subsequently recalled for the part of Kim Hyde. He was successful in gaining the role of Kim Hyde and moved to Sydney to join the cast of ''Home and Away'', appearing in 171 episodes of the series. He left the cast of ''Home and Away'' on 3 July 2007. He has received two Logie Award nominations and has won one for Most Popular New Talent on Home and Away back in 2005.

Hemsworth portrayed James T. Kirk's father, George Kirk, in the opening scenes of J. J. Abrams' 2009 film ''Star Trek''. He also played the character Kale in the thriller ''A Perfect Getaway'' the same year. Hemsworth will star in upcoming horror film ''The Cabin in the Woods'' executive produced by Joss Whedon and will portray Jed Eckert in the upcoming ''Red Dawn'' remake.

Hemsworth portrayed ''Thor'' in the film adaption of the Marvel Comics superhero of the same name. Initially, his brother Liam reached the final four for the role, while Chris failed to make the shortlist, but he won the role after director Kenneth Branagh decided to re-evaluate earlier candidates. Chris Hemsworth received advice from his brother, saying "We're competitive, but in the best way." His mother helped him with his audition tape by playing Odin. Hemsworth is also scheduled to reprise his role as ''Thor'' in ''The Avengers'', also based on a Marvel comic about a team of superheroes assembled to protect Earth, which is scheduled for release in 2012.

In the 2010 film ''CA$h'', Hemsworth played Sam Phelan, an economically troubled young man. ''CA$h'' marked Hemsworth's Hollywood debut, as it was the first film he shot upon his arrival in the United States. In behind-the-scenes interviews, the film's director Stephen Milburn Anderson stated that Hemsworth had only been in the United States for six weeks when he had auditioned for the role. Anderson said, "Here's a guy who is young, has the right look, is a very good actor and, let's face it, he's beautiful. So I say, we need to get this guy in. I was very impressed". On November 2010 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' named Hemsworth as one of the young male actors who are “pushing – or being pushed” into taking over Hollywood as the new “A-List”. MTV Networks' NextMovie.com named him one of the 'Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011'.

In May 2011, Hemsworth was cast opposite Kristen Stewart in ''Snow White and the Huntsman''. Hemsworth is also set to star in ''Shadow Runner'', an original thriller involving elite commandos. The project is based on an original idea from Hossein Amini, who is one of the writers of ''Snow White and the Huntsman''. In June 2011, it was announced that Hemsworth would reprise his role as the titular character in ''Thor 2'', planned for a mid-2013 release. Before shooting starts though, he will work with Ron Howard on Rush.

Personal life

His older brother Luke and younger brother Liam are also actors, and have had recurring roles as Nathan Tyson and Josh Taylor on ''Neighbours'', respectively.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

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