Charlize Theron believes that Hollywood is experiencing an "incredible moment" in the wake of the #MeToo and Time's Up movements.
Charlize Theron
The movie business in the US was rocked in 2017 when numerous actresses, including Rose McGowan, Cara Delevingne and Angelina Jolie, and female employees of The Weinstein Company publicly accused mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment or assault.
Those allegations were followed by numerous men coming forward with claims of sexual misconduct by Kevin Spacey and the revelations spawned the movements which were created to give ladies the bravery to share their own stories of abuse.
Charlize, 42, is so proud of all the women who have come forward with stories and she hopes the changes sweeping Tinsel Town will carry on.
When asked about the changes occurring in Hollywood in an interview with Italian publication IO Donna, she said: "We are experiencing an incredible moment, we expected it. It is a wave that grows and gains strength, but we must be careful that one day we do not suddenly disassemble. But, right now, I am more than happy."
Charlize - who is from South Africa - can recall having to fight for every opportunity she got in Hollywood when she first moved to Los Angeles whilst also working other jobs to make ends meet.
The screen star admits she felt a huge sense of relief when earned universal critical acclaim for her portrayal of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos in 2003 movie 'Monster', a performance which earned her the Best Actress Oscar, because she knew her status in the A-list was secure.
Charlize - who has son two children, son Jackson, six, and two-year-old daughter August - shared: "When I was younger it was difficult for me to work in different genres, I only dreamed of being able to act without having to be a waitress to make ends meet. When I think back to those years - before Monster 's success - and I read the interviews from back then, I say, 'You can finally breathe a sigh of relief, Charlize!'
"When you're a young actress you always have to defend yourself, it's a difficult rite of passage, which I hope women can leave behind. I don't want my children to grow up that way, having to prove a thousand times what they are worth. I just want them to express themselves."
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