Charlize Theron Photos

Birthday: August 7, 1975
Hometown: Benoni, Gauteng, South Africa

Where You've Seen Her: Being one of the most recognizable beauties on the planet, Charlize has built quite the actress-model résumé. Besides being the face of Christian Dior's J'ADORE campaign, Theron has made her mark in films such as The Cider House Rules (1999), The Italian Job (2003) and her Academy Award-winning role in Monster (2003). Her latest, The Burning Plain, opens September 18, and is the first film to be directed by Guillermo Arriaga, the screenwriter of 21 Grams and Babel. Expect surefire Oscar buzz for Theron's turn as a guilt-ridden woman trying to escape her past.

She's Bringing Sexy Back: "I think of myself as a highly sexual creature. I have to use that. I have no choice. I like it. I didn't grow up with a mother telling me what was under my clothes was bad or evil."

A Guy's Girl: "I'm 50-50 on glamour stuff. I'd rather put on a pair of jeans, get on my Harley and act like a guy."