1995 - Charlize Theron acts in her first Hollywood feature

South African-born Charlize Theron began her career as a model and ballet dancer. But when a knee injury put an end to her dancing, her mother bought her a one-way ticket to Los Angeles. Theron attracted the attention of a Hollywood agent during an argument with a bank teller and landed a role in a 1995 B-movie. She went on to star in several drama and thriller films, earning an Academy Award for her riveting performance as a serial killer in the 2003 film Monster. (© AP Images)