Watch the moment Charlize Theron pulled the trigger on becoming Imperator Furiosa
If George Millar’s Mad Max: Fury Road was one of the finest films of the 2010s—and we would certainly argue that that was exactly the case—then it’s hard to underplay Charlize Theron’s contributions to the movie’s success. As Imperator Furiosa, Theron was the center around which Miller’s high-octane road trip revolved, giving the film both its heart, and its action core. And also, y’know…her hair.
Which brings us to today, when Theron celebrated a drive-in showing of Fury Road in Los Angeles tonight by posting a throwback video of the moment when Imperator Furiosa went from an idea on the page, to an actual “Well, shit, this is what we’re doing for the next several months” reality: When the actress shaved her head for the role. (In fact, this all-in haircut was notable enough that we wrote about it way back in 2012, declaring that Theron’s tonsorial sacrifice was just one more reason that Miller’s long-delayed return to the franchise needed to finally get on the road.)
It’s a fascinating little moment; you can see Theron realize that there’s no going back once the razor makes its first pass—and her delight at seeing a new version of herself begin to emerge. If nothing else, it’s fascinating to see one of modern movie action’s resident badasses begin to literally chop that space out for herself.
Tonight’s Fury Road screening at The Grove in L.A. benefits Theron’s charity, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, which invests in African youth to keep themselves safe from HIV. There is also a silent auction going on through Sunday.