Charlize Theron shares about being subjected to misogynistic costume fittings as a young actor, which she says “really f–king annoyed” her.

Charlize Theron Hancock

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Mad Max: Fury Road star Charlize Theron opened up about the upsetting wardrobe fittings she experienced early in her acting career.

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Theron talked about her frustration over these fittings and how they made her feel “powerless” as a young actor. “Having absolutely no control over what you’re wearing is a big one that really f–king annoyed me for years. Having some guy make you have a fitting almost in front of them — stuff like that, it’s really belittling,” Theron recalled. “When I started, there was no conversation around it. It was like, ‘This is what you’re wearing.'”

Theron continued, “And I remember one movie in particular, this male director who just kept bringing me in, fitting after fitting after fitting after…” she said. “And it was just so obvious that it was to do with my sexuality and how f–kable they could make me in the movie. And when I started out, that was just kind of the norm.”

Theron Talks Hollywood Sexism

In the years since these experiences, Theron has gone on to become one of the film industry’s most prolific and celebrated actors, starring in major blockbusters such as Prometheus and Mad Max: Fury Road. A prequel film based on Theron’s Fury Road character, titled Furiosa, is currently in production, with The Queen’s Gambit‘s Anya Taylor-Joy set to portray a younger version of the character. Since 2017, Theron has played the villain Cipher in The Fast and the Furious franchise, a role she will reprise in 2023’s Fast X. Theron has also earned three Academy Award nominations over the course of her career, one of which she won for her performance in 2003’s Monster.

In the 2022 Doctor Strange sequel, Theron made her Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as the character Clea during the film’s mid-credits scene. In the comics, Clea is a sorcerer who eventually becomes the wife of Dr. Stephen Strange. Multiverse of Madness screenwriter Michael Waldron gave some insights into Clea’s introduction shortly following the film’s release. “We always knew we wanted to introduce Clea,” Waldron said at the time. “Her backstory is fascinating. She’s the niece of Dormammu, the giant floating head from the first movie. And so, they have a lot of great adventures in the comics, and we knew we wanted to introduce her.”