Charlize Theron's diet refusal

01-03-2008 16:05

Charlize Theron refused to diet when she was modelling.

The South African actress started her career as a model when she was just 16, but refused to bow to industry pressure to slim down.

Charlize - who trained to be a ballet dancer after working in the fashion business for around two years - said: "I had the capability to be a bigger model than I was. They were always telling me, 'Lose five pounds and you'll be a supermodel.' But I saw modelling like waitressing - it was a way to pay for another career, and that career was dance."

However, the star's fledgling dance career was cut short after she sustained a serious knee injury when she was just 19.

Although Charlize refused to slim down as a model, she was more than happy to bulk up for her Oscar-winning role in 'Monster'.

The 32-year-old actress, who played serial killer Aileen Wuornos in the critically acclaimed movie, said: "It's naive and a little sweet that people think weight gain constitutes acting. In the case of Aileen, there were reasons for her size. She'd led a homeless life, and if you sleep under a bridge, you don't go to the gym. Your body looks a certain way."