Charlize Theron is one of the most popular and versatile actors working in Hollywood today. While her earlier roles may have tried to put her in a certain box, she quickly that proved her skills as an actor would not allow her to be limited and began amassing a great variety of memorable roles.

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She is not only an Oscar-winning actor known for dramatic performances, but she has also become one of the most impressive action stars in Hollywood and has even shown her comedic side. It's not surprising that Theron can play both heroic and villainous characters effectively. She has created quite a collection of fascinating characters, some of whom we love and others we hate.

Cipher - Fast & Furious 8 (2017)

Cipher inside her plane in The Fate Of The Furious

Dominic Toretto and his team came up against their most formidable foe when they faced off against the tech evil genius Cipher. She shares a dark past with Toretto but is quick to show she is not willing to play nice.

Cipher kidnaps Elena Neves, Toretto's former lover and the mother of the son Toretto didn't know he had. In order to get Toretto to help her acquire a nuke, Cipher executes Elena and threatens the life of Toretto's son. She is a merciless villain who poses a genuine threat.

Aileen Wuornos - Monster (2003)

Charlize Theron smoking a cigarette in Monster

Theron won an Oscar for Best Actress for her powerful performance in Patty Jenkins' directorial debut, Monster. The film tells the story of real-life serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who worked as a prostitute and murdered several male clients during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

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Seeing as Aileen is a serial killer, it's not surprising she ranks among the most villainous of Theron's characters. While the movie shows she was herself victimized at times, it also doesn't shy away from a lot of the cold-blooded things she did.

Meredith Vickers - Prometheus (2012)

Charlize Theron Vickers Prometheus

Ridley Scott returned to the Alien franchise he started with the prequel film, Prometheus. It follows a crew of astronauts who venture to an alien planet they believe to be the home of humanity's creators. The voyage is funded by the Weyland Corporation and overseen by Meredith Vickers.

At first, Meredith just seems to be a typical stuck-up and entitled corporate personality who talks down to everyone around her. But she gradually shed her skin over the course of the film and shows her hidden agendas. She also proves many times that she is willing to sacrifice the rest of the crew to save herself.

Mavis Gray - Young Adult (2011)

Mavis Gary wears sunglasses inside in Young Adult

Theron got the opportunity to beautifully balance her comedic and dramatic skills in the dark comedy, Young Adult. She plays Mavis Gray, an alcoholic ghostwriter of young adult novels. Suffering a mid-life crisis, she returns to her hometown where she was the most popular girl in school.

While everyone else seems to have grown past their high school personalities, Mavis is still the mean girl who thinks she is better than everyone. She even tries to seduce her married high school sweetheart. And just when she starts to see the error of her ways, she decides that she was right all along and that she is, in fact, better than everyone.

Lorraine Broughton - Atomic Blonde (2017)

Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde

In the spy thriller Atomic Blonde, Theron plays a field agent whose alliances are constantly in question. This is yet another badass role for Theron as she kicks all kinds of butt while fighting off multiple enemies in the closing days of the Cold War.

Her secret agent Lorraine Broughton  is someone the audience is trying to get a read on for the entire film. She appears to be with the good guys one minute only to switch sides the next. In the end, she proves herself to be a true hero, but she sure made it confusing to get to that point.

Stella Bridger - The Italian Job (2003)

A screenshot of Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Jason Statham in The Italian Job (2003)

Theron took on one of her first action roles in The Italian Job and proved to be a perfect fit for the genre. She plays a safe cracker who joins her father's old crew to steal from the man that double-crossed them and murdered her dad.

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Stella is not a criminal like the other members of the crew and had actually been using her safecracking skills to help the police. Her motives for the robbery are pretty justified, but she is still a criminal in the end.

Charlotte Field - The Long Shot (2019)

Charlize Theron

Theron stepped into the rom-com world for the hilarious The Long Shot. Theron plays the Secretary of Defense who goes on a worldwide tour in preparation for her run for president of the United States. Along the way, she falls for her abrasive speechwriter, played by Seth Rogen.

Charlotte Field is the kind of politician most of us wish there were more of in the world. She is a genuinely good person who wants to use her position of power to make positive changes in the world. However, she also negotiates a hostage situation while high on drugs so she's not perfect.

Mother - Kubo And The Two Strings (2016)

monkey mother

The folks at Laika Animation delivered one of their most acclaimed films with the fantasy adventure, Kubo and the Two Strings. The film follows a young boy who sets out on a mission with a monkey and a beetle to defeat an evil spirit who wants to kill him.

Theron voices the monkey, who is also the boy's mother. She is not only a strong warrior who helps the trio through the dangers of their mission, but she is also a loving and protective parent to young Kubo.

Andy - The Old Guard (2020)

Charlize Theron in The Old Guard

Theron created yet another badass action hero role with the recent Netflix hit, The Old Guard. She plays Andy, the leader of a team of immortal warriors who have been fighting wars in the world for centuries.

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Though she struggles with her tragic life, Andy is a strong leader of the team who really cares for each and every member. She has also been a person of great positive influence in the world throughout history without even knowing it. When she loses her immortal powers, she still fights for what is right.

Furiosa - Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Charlize Theron as Furiosa in Mad Max Fury Road

It says a lot about Theron's charisma that she joined the Mad Max franchise and stole the show from its iconic lead character. In Mad Max: Fury Road, Tom Hardy takes over the role of Max, who teams up with the warrior Furiosa who is attempting to rescue the slave brides of a warlord.

Furiosa is not just a fearless and powerful warrior, she is also a selfless crusader who puts her life on the line to save others. In the end, she also becomes the leader the land needs to survive.

NEXT: Mad Max: 10 Films To Watch Before Furiosa