Charlize Theron, the Academy Award-winning actress, has declared she will no longer gain weight for film roles. The decision comes after years of undergoing extreme body transformations for her characters, most notably in films like “Monster” and “Tully.” Theron cites age and health as the primary reasons for this significant career shift.
By Harlow Thomas
The Turning Point
Charlize Theron has had a history of undergoing extreme body transformations for her roles. She gained weight for her Academy Award-winning role in “Monster” and again for her 2018 film “Tully.” However, the actress has now decided to retire from such transformations, stating, “I will never, ever do a movie again and say, ‘Yeah, I’ll gain 40 pounds.’ I will never do it again because you can’t take it off.”
The Struggle with Age
Theron, now 48, has found that age plays a significant role in her ability to lose weight gained for roles. She mentioned that shedding excess weight became nearly impossible as she got older. “When I was 27, I did ‘Monster.’ I lost 30 pounds, like, overnight. But at 43, for ‘Tully,’ it took me a year and a half to lose the extra pounds,” she said.
The Health Toll
The actress opened up about the health implications of such transformations. She faced depression while gaining close to 50 pounds for “Tully” and found it challenging to maintain the weight. “I remember having to set my alarm in the middle of the night to just maintain [the weight]. I would wake up and have a cup of cold macaroni and cheese,” Theron revealed.
The Industry’s Reaction
Theron also discussed the industry’s response to her weight gain for roles. She mentioned that her stylist, Leslie Fremar, had to figure out how to dress her for red carpet events when she had gained weight for a movie. “It’s not something that you can just figure out last minute,” Theron said.
Charlize Theron’s decision to no longer undergo extreme body transformations for roles marks a significant moment in her career and opens up a broader conversation about the physical and mental toll such transformations can take on actors. As Theron moves forward, her choice may inspire others in the industry to reconsider the lengths they go to for their craft.