Though Charlize Theron is strikingly beautiful, she has chosen roles that move away from Hollywood glamour…and toward Hollywood hardware. She won an Oscar® for Best Actress in 2004 for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, and was nominated again for Best Actress this year for her portrayal of Josey Aimes, a trailblazing victim of sexual harassment in North Country.

"I don't look at the physical," Charlize says about how she chooses roles. "The physical a lot of times comes just very organically from looking at the emotional. I really believe that we look physically the way we do because of our emotional impact that we've made on our bodies during our life. I think somebody like Josey [her character in North Country] looks the way she does because of where she is, her culture, her world, and her experiences."