The time of women

This article is published in number 5 of Vanity Fair on newsstands until February 2, 2021

Charlize Theron’s very personal recipe for facing life’s challenges is pretty simple. It only has two ingredients. The first is determination, and that’s what led any, albeit beautiful, former dancer and model to become, at 45, one of the brightest stars in the Hollywood firmament, and the first South African to win an Oscar for best actress. (in 2004 for Monster). The second ingredient is patience, which allows her to hone her art, to persevere in the fight for the causes that interest her, such as gender equality and the fight against AIDS in South Africa, and to manage her two completely alone. daughters, Jackson, 9, and August, 5,
both adopted. A commitment, the latter, which she jokingly defines as “more tiring than shooting an action film”. We can hardly believe it, knowing the physically exhausting roles in which it usually falls. Including the next one: in 2021 it will return to being Cipher in the very animated Fast & Furious 9.

Any anticipation?
“I’ll be in league with John Cena, who plays Dom’s brother, aka Vin Diesel.”

Does your background as a dancer help you in dealing with very physical parts, like this one?
“There is a memory in the body, in the muscles, which undoubtedly remains, even if I haven’t been dancing for almost thirty years. When I started playing action roles I had one advantage: I easily adapted to the choreography and remembered the movements. But strength was a completely new thing for me: I had never done martial arts and I didn’t know any kind of fight ».

Coming from South Africa, he knew other types of battles, such as the one against racial disparity.
“Already. I arrived in America in 1991 and in 1994 there were the first free elections in my country. The abolition of Apartheid, also thanks to international pressure, was in the spotlight all over the world. Many were convinced that we white South Africans were the enemy, regardless. Whether you voted or were just a kid, they made you feel dirty, unfair. It’s not a good feeling. “

So was it a shock for you to arrive in the United States?
“A little, but I was only sixteen, I was very naive. It seemed like a great adventure to me and I felt very lucky. I had never been on a plane before. The euphoria of seeing places I had only heard of, or had seen on maps, was much stronger than the shock. “

Is there anything today that gives you that same euphoria?
“Working as a team, as we do in the production company, Denver and Delilah, which I founded in 2003. I love my partners and I love developing creative projects with them. It’s hard work, but sometimes it doesn’t even feel like working. ‘

As a production company you are also very attentive to diversity. Your latest film, The Old Guard, was directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, an African American director.
“Of course, we want our films to represent different realities, to be a mirror of the world, of who is in front of the camera and who works behind the scenes. When we consider the fact that only 4% of directors are women, it is clear that something has to change ».

But something is already changing, in your opinion, or not?
«Yes, and paradoxically part of the credit goes to streaming which, during the pandemic, proved to be a winner. That said, I don’t think the experience of going to the movies will ever go away, it’s too special. Indeed, this situation makes us understand how much we miss the big screen. But streaming is offering a lot of opportunities. If you look at the film studio system, job opportunities for female directors or minorities were very rare. In the post Covid era, they will no longer be ».

The pandemic has completely disrupted our ways of life. Alongside some positive aspects, such as those you just mentioned, there is a particularly negative one that she dedicated herself to last year with the Together for Her project: the fight against domestic violence.
“Covid has given many of us the opportunity to stay at home, in a safe, secure environment, but it is a death sentence for women and children forced to remain isolated with those who abuse them. The campaign had a huge impact. I believe that people have really managed to empathize with women and children who risk their lives because they are locked in the house with violent people. Now we need to go one step further: to better understand the systemic problem of gender-based violence, worldwide. Studying the question a little, I can say that it is frightening how much cases of gender-based violence have increased, the figures are incredible. Equally disturbing is the lack of awareness of the number of femicides taking place around the world right now. Attention must be drawn to this problem. The #MeToo movement was fundamental to understand that something had to change. Now we must take action with the same effectiveness to combat violence against women all over the world ”.

I see that female solidarity is an issue that is close to her heart. Not surprisingly, together with dancer MistyCopeland and actress Yao Chen, she became the new Breitling ambassador in a campaign centered on sisterhood.

“I think it perfectly represents the culture and climate we are experiencing. Breitling is a very attentive company and has been able to understand that nowadays, to engage the female audience, you have to do a representative campaign. Putting together a team made up of women from different backgrounds, employed in different professions, is in line with the spirit of the times, and is something I really appreciate. I like that the brand is not represented by a single woman or a single type of woman. It is really important that this campaign be entrusted to three different women, and the importance of this diversity is the message we must send to the whole world ».
How do Breitling Chronomat watches fit your way of dressing?
“The thing I like about this new line is that Chronomat watches don’t try to dictate a style. They represent the kind of watch that fits my lifestyle perfectly. I think something like that was missing for female clientele. Men’s watches have always played a more fluid role: a man can wear the same watch in the morning at the gym and in the evening at dinner. It seems to me that women did not have this possibility and I think Breitling did a great job: it discovered a gap in the market ».

Do you think that the female perception of time is different from the male one?
“I do not know. I have never considered these sharp divisions between genders. In general, I think time is the strongest currency we have. Without time, nothing really matters. You can have money, you can have a lot of material possessions, but if you don’t have time, it doesn’t matter. “

What is your relationship with time?
“I try so hard to be punctual, I think it’s disrespectful to make others wait. I mean, I do my best. Because, I repeat, I am convinced that time is a precious asset ».

How did the extended time of the lockdown pass?
“Like any other mother, trying to make it through the day. Without a doubt now it’s easier: at the beginning neither I nor my daughters had the slightest idea of ​​what distance learning was. Now they are adapting and at best they realize that it will be the norm until schools reopen. When I talk to other parents I feel less alone in trying to find a way to manage these new things ».

Are Jackson and August afraid of the virus?
“Yes sure. I think it can all be scary for children, and it’s up to us adults to make sure they don’t remain in the dark, that they understand. “

How do you reassure them?
“The ability to be informed is essential: I want my girls to have access to a type of news suitable for their age. They ask me very direct, sincere questions.

DO YOU REMEMBER IT? Born in 1975, South African with American naturalization, Charlize Theron (pictured above) made her screen debut in 1991 as the star of a famous Martini commercial.
photo TOM MUNRO

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