Charlize's Sink Or Swim Moment - How My Mum Changed My Life

THE STAR CHANNELS HER BRAVERY INTO A NEW ROLE

I’ve only just begun.”

Accepting yet another accolade in front of her peers in Hollywood, Charlize Theron radiated power, confidence and charm.

Power is something she knows all too well. She was raised by a strong woman – the story of her mum Gerda shooting and killing Charlize’s abusive and alcoholic father in self-defence is now the stuff of grim Tinseltown legend – and she’s become one herself, determinedly raising her two daughters in the same vein.

“My mother made me the brave woman I am today,” says Charlize (44), who was last week presented with a career achievement award at the Hollywood Film Awards.

“I was raised by a mum who was just like, ‘Don’t take any s***.’ I don’t know who I might have been without that. Her philosophy was, ‘This is horrible. Acknowledge that this is horrible. Now make a choice. Will this define you? Are you going to sink or are you going to swim?’ That was it.”

Almost 30 years on from the shooting, it’s evident Charlize and Gerda chose to swim – and the Oscar winner is channelling some of that inner strength into her latest role, playing real-life conservative Fox News presenter Megyn Kelly in the upcoming flick Bombshell, alongside Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie.

It tells the true story of several well-known US female news personalities and their battle to expose Fox News CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment.