THERON READY FOR ACTION

The 41-year-old actress pushes the envelope in ‘Atomic Blonde’

Charlize Theron doesn’t mind going over the top. In fact, she relishes it. For example, in her new spy thriller Atomic Blonde, she kills someone by impaling him on one of her high heels. “I’m someone who really wants to push the envelope,” the 41-year-old actress said.

Theron also served as the producer of Atomic Blonde, which will open in the US on July 28. She plays Lorraine Broughton, an undercover British agent who, during the Cold War, is sent to Berlin to investigate the murder of a fellow agent and recover a missing list of double agents.

“My company developed this,” Theron said, “so I knew from the beginning this was something I needed to do. This felt like there was something really great there.”

She encountered the Antony Johnston/ Sam Hart graphic novel on which the film is based five years ago, and was immediately captivated.

“I was looking to do an action film, and this offered a kick-ass female character,” she said. “I just fell in love with it. At the same time, I had no idea if I could play her or if I would get the chance.”

She and her producing partner, Beth Kono, acquired the rights and spent the next four years trying to get it made. Then one day Theron’s telephone rang.

“I was on the way to Budapest,” Theron recalled. “It was Beth saying that Atomic Blonde was actually going to happen. Finally it just all came together.”

Among the elements coming together was a cast that included James McAvoy as David Percival, another British agent who may or may not be what he appears to be, and John Goodman as a duplicitous CIA agent.

Theron went back to the gym to prepare for the part — nothing new to her after the rigorous physical training she underwent to play Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).

“I had eight amazing fight trainers who basically made me puke every single day,” she said with a laugh.

“I am very grateful to them, because I’ve watched this film with audiences and it’s really special to me to see an audience really connect with this character. You needed the physicality to make that happen.”

Women owning their sexuality the same way males do in movies is not something we see enough of in the movies CHARLIZE THERON