Therons current position as an action star while already being a celebrated, Oscar-winning actress in her 40s is unconventional. But it is also fitting for an actress known, even in her dramatic roles, for taking on unconventional characters that push against Hollywoods attempts at typecasting and hang-ups about age and glamour. Even during her emergence as an action star, Theron diversified her resume with leading roles in Tully (2018), Long Shot (2019) and Bombshell (2019), each as important to showcasing the versatility and complexities of strong women as her action roles. While Therons distinguished filmography and Oscar win for Monster (2003) certainly helped her gain a foothold in the action genre, it was still an uphill struggle when compared to Hollywoods leading men.

There is no single route for an actor to take in order to become a successful action star in Hollywood, but it should come as no surprise that men have dominated that space with even their misfires becoming victories in the overall scope of their success stories. Actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Dolph Lundgren, were largely immune to negative reviews at the height of their action-star fame, with acting often serving as a secondary attribute to their musculature and personas. Stallone was adopted into the genre, his acclaim for the serious dramatic roles of Rocky Balboa and John Rambo, which drew comparisons to Marlon Brando, served as a launchpad for international acclaim and a physical transformation geared towards action stardom. Tom Cruise, Will Smith, and Keanu Reeves became synonymous with the genre due to their charisma as leading men, despite their notable work outside of the action genre. And more recent stars like Dwayne The Rock Johnson, Vin Diesel, and Jason Statham have turned their personas into an industry of their own, balancing the brawn of action movies past with the high-concepts and special effects of present-day blockbusters. Theres not a single one of those aforementioned stars, who form a sort of old guard of their own, who wasnt given the opportunity to fail numerous times and still retain their place, not only in the genre they made a home in, but in star vehicles outside of the action genre as well.

Although she had dabbled in action elements in Reindeer Games (2000) and The Italian Job (2003), Therons first action film, came on the heels of her Oscar-nominated role of Josey Aimes in Niki Caros North Country (2005). on Flux (2005), based on the cult MTV animated show, had all the makings of a strong sci-fi film, and could have been a notable success story for women filmmakers, about a decade before the strong, and still current, push for inclusion in Hollywood. Unfortunately, Paramount Pictures took the film out of director Karyn Kusamas hands, resulting in a critical and financial disappointment with interesting ideas never brought to fruition and a lead performance never given a true chance to shine. The aftermath nearly dashed Kusamas directing career, though shes since bounced back, and Therons chances at action stardom, a space shed long wanted to be a part of.

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Theron spoke on the lack of forgiveness allowed women in the genre, Unfortunately, the very sad truth of any film in the genre with a female lead, where they dont succeed, there is this mindset of, Well, if it doesnt work, you just dont touch it again. A lot of women dont get a second chance, but when men make these movies and fail miserably, they get chance after chance after chance to go and explore that againIts kind of like you get one chance, and if it doesnt work If you look at me, for instance, Fury Road came a good decade after on Flux. In that decade, Theron became an even bigger presence in Hollywood, balancing smaller films like In the Valley of Elah (2007), Young Adult (2011), and Dark Places (2015) with blockbusters like Hancock (2008), Prometheus (2012), and Snow White and the Huntsman (2012). And at the end of this decade of exploration, Furiosa emerged.

It's no stretch to say that Therons Furiosa supplanted Tom Hardys Mad Max as Fury Roads iconic antihero, and among film aficionados she became the years breakout character. The immediate positive response to Furiosa was reminiscent of the fandom surrounding Sigourney Weavers Ellen Ripley and Linda Hamiltons Sarah Connor. Theron brought a sense of mileage to Furiosa, battle-damage and a history that told the tale of a human struggle. In one the films defining scenes, a moment improvised by Theron, Furiosa falls to her knees in the sands of the wasteland, letting out a shriek that symbolizes the characters death and rebirth. Women action heroines are often noteworthy for their near invulnerability, Underworlds Selene (Kate Beckinsale), Resident Evils Alice (Milla Jovovich), Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot), Captain Marvel (Brie Larson). But Therons action-film performances borrow from traits developed in her dramatic portrayals, like Aileen Wuornos in Patty Jenkins Monster, in that the characters she helps create are vulnerable, sometimes painfully so. A career spent in fostering empathy, both onscreen and off, has enabled Theron to create action characters whose pain, anger, and exhaustion bleeds out of the screen and onto the audience.

With The Old Guard, director Prince-Bythewood works with an awareness of her lead actors strengths. She distinguishes Andy from Therons previous action characters by also showing an awareness of the kind of masculinity that has largely dictated action movies, and then subverting those expectations. At the beginning of the film, Theron is the only woman among her team of immortals consisting of Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), and Nicky (Luca Marinelli). None of these men, despite being skilled warriors, fit into the clichs of the male action hero. As a unit, the Old Guard is the antithesis of the Expendables of the 2010 film. The Old Guard includes male characters, two of whom are gay, defined by connections, desires, and humanity rather than larger-than-life personas cobbled together from famous characters of yesteryear. And Andy, as the teams leader, is never made out to be the matron or babysitter. Even when a new immortal Nile (KiKi Layne) joins their ranks, Andys journey doesnt become about accepting her maternal nature, but in finding a reason to go on living. At the same time, Andy isnt simply a case of a character who could otherwise be male cast as a woman. No, Andys experiences across time, her trauma from the Salem witch trials, her failed bonds of sisterhood, and fight to maintain control over her own body give her a distinctly female experience.

Whats fascinating about Therons role in The Old Guard, and her role in action films in general, is that there is nothing easy about the characters she plays. Beyond the physically demanding aspects, none of the action-movie characters Theron has taken on have been simplistic or entirely reliant on ass-kicking skills. While Furiosa, Cipher, Lorraine, and Andy all share a common trait of being guarded, not an easy quality to portray, the way in which Theron explores that quality and reveals the intentions of those characters manifests itself differently in each role. From the triumph of redemption, the sadistic pleasure of being the smartest one in the room, the icy calm of being able to play every angle, and the desire to be better even after thousands of years, Theron has crafted a robust repertoire of action characters reliant on the need of an actors persona to substitute for craft. In the past five years, Charlize Theron has helped set a standard of excellence for the roles of women in action films and its a legacy that hopefully is only just beginning.

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'The Old Guard' and the Evolution of Charlize Theron - Hollywood Reporter