Few actors are able to harness the sheer level of bad-assery that Charlize Theron possesses. She’s firmly established herself as one of the most skilled action stars in Hollywood, through her roles in massive blockbusters. Atomic Blonde, Mad Max: Fury Road and The Old Guard are only a few of the films in which her excellent skills have been on display. At 48 years old, the Oscar winner continues to turn in excellent performances in heart-stopping fare. However, Theron revealed that at this point in her career, there’s an aspect of making the films that really “bums” her out.
It goes without saying that a lot of hard work goes into making action-heavy feature films. The directors and stunt coordinators have to stage fight sequences that are typically quite precise. And of course, the actors performing in said scenes must bring their A-game both physically and mentally. Charlize Theron knows better than most just how important it is to bring physicality, and she certainly seems to do just that. Of course, after she’s done the work, she needs time to recover and, as she explained, that takes a bit longer these days:
The thing that really bums me out is that I make action movies now and if I hurt myself, I take way longer to heal than I did in my 20s. More than my face, I wish I had my 25-year-old body that I can just throw against the wall and not even hurt tomorrow. Now, if I don’t work out for three days and I go back to the gym, I can’t walk. I can’t sit down on the toilet. It’s all those very real moments.
One can understand why the 48-year-old actress – who shared those sentiments with Allure – would feel that way. You get the impression that years ago, she was able to bounce back relatively quickly after filming intense scenes. Of course, father time catches up with everyone eventually, even someone who seemingly takes care of themself as well as the Monster star. It’s admirable that the Fast & Furious franchise alum has and still takes on such action-heavy roles and, as documented over the years, she’s certainly suffered for her art.
While filming 2017’s Atomic Blonde, Charlize Theron contended with a truly gross accident, as she cracked two of her teeth and later had to have surgery. She also suffered a nasty injury while filming 2020’s The Old Guard, as she tore a tendon in her left thumb. Additionally, she even injured herself while filming Long Shot – the 2019 political comedy co-starring Seth Rogen. Theron ended up in the hospital after hitting her head on a bench while putting on knee pads.
Her next film – which is set to appear on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases – is The Old Guard 2, and she injured herself while making that movie as well. The star explained that she messed up her shoulder while filming a sequence that has her hanging off the side of a helicopter. As a result, she had to undergo yet another surgery. So yeah, this A-lister has certainly given her all to entertain the masses.
Despite the fact that it takes her longer to heal, Charlize Theron still seems to mostly enjoy working on action movies. As she approaches 50, one has to wonder just how much longer she might continue to perform stunt-heavy flicks. I’m hoping she’ll continue to do them as long as she’s physically able. Here’s hoping she just stays safe as she does, though.
As you wait for The Old Guard 2, know that Charlize Theron’s latest movie – Fast X – will be streaming for Peacock subscription holders starting on September 15.
