Charlize Theron As Aileen Wournos

Seeing Charlize Theron on screen as the serial killer Aileen Wournos in Monster is an unbelievable experience. Gone is the glamorous, model-like star we’re used to seeing, and in her place was someone who’s 30 pounds heavier, freckled, and had crooked teeth. But Theron’s commitment to the role was beyond the physical.

The Oscar winner had to look back into some dark moments in her own life to pull off the part. She, too, had a difficult childhood. Theron’s mother killed her abusive father in self-defense when Charlize was just a teen growing up in South Africa.