Charlize Theron talks about a disturbing experience she had in the early stages of her career.
In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar published Thursday, the actor recalled an unnamed female filmmaker making her attend several wardrobe fittings to make her look more “shootable” on set.
“I remember one film in particular, this male director who kept bringing me in, adjusting after adjusting,” she told the channel. “It was so obvious that it had to do with my sexuality and how fucked up they could make me in the movie. And when I started, that was kind of the norm.”
The “Atomic Blonde” star said men like him wouldn’t give her a choice in what she wears on screen.
“To have absolutely no control over what you wear is a big thing that bothered me for years,” Theron said. 47. “Having a boyfriend makes you have a milestone almost in front of them, things like that, are really despicable.”
Instead of asking for her opinion, the Oscar-winning actor said the outfits were non-negotiable. “There was no conversation around it. It was like, ‘This is what you wear,'” he said.
Theron is well informed Hollywood’s desire to sexualize women has diminished during his career.
In 2003, he launched the production company Denver & Delilah after his experience filming the acclaimed “Monster”. Theron said this sensed that the film’s financiers were only interested in making “a hot lesbian movie with me and [co-star] Christina Ricci” instead of protecting director Patty Jenkins vision
Almost 20 years later, the protagonist is on a mission to improve the way Hollywood works.
“There is a natural struggle in me to want to create environments [on set] that feel like the things I wish I had 30 years ago,” he said. “I’m very conscious of looking at the big picture and saying, ‘Is this really the best we can do?’
For an upcoming film Theron is producing, women make up 85 percent of the cast and crew, she said. The film, a sequel to 2020’s “The Old Guard,” is set for release next year.
Theron also stars in the upcoming fantasy film “The School for Good and Evil,” streaming Oct. 21 on Netflix.
