Charlize Theron Volunteered to Shave Her ‘Fried’ Hair For ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

There are a lot of actors who pride themselves on completely altering their appearance for a movie role. Many times, these performers feel as though it helps them get in character, casting a spell of believability over viewers and critics alike.

Charlize Theron is one such actor who has become well-known for her complete commitment to the character at any cost. Many times over the years, Theron has adopted extreme beauty looks for roles. One of the more notable examples is the character of Furiosa in the 2015 film Mad Max: Fury Road, where Theron shaved her long blonde locks in favor of a severe shaved head. 

Charlize Theron shaved her head for the role of Furiosa in ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’

In 2015, Theron appeared in the apocalyptic action flick, Mad Max: Fury Road. While Tom Hardy portrayed the title character, Theron made a big impact in the film as well. As Furiosa, Theron portrays a vicious war captain who initially serves under Immortan Joe. Furiosa eventually turns against Joe in order to free his wives and team up with Max.

With her shaven head, mechanical arm, and an arsenal of weapons, Furiosa cuts a terrifying figure. Wily and resourceful, she’s out to survive at any cost—and there’s no doubt that the character’s unique hairstyle helps to solidify her status as a warrior not to be trifled with.

While many viewers might not be able to imagine the character of Furiosa without her signature shaven head, the hairstyle was a random suggestion on the part of Theron. According to BuzzFeed, Theron claimed that her long hair was “fried” from a press tour. She recommended that the character of Furiosa have her head shaved – and her idea was incorporated into the film.

What did Charlize Theron say about her shorter hairstyle?

Theron ended up enjoying the feel of the shorter hairstyle, even after shooting for Mad Max: Fury Road ended. The actor opened up to People about the buzz cut, noting “I came up with it, so I’m going to have to say I’m okay with it. I can’t even imagine doing the film any other way. I could never see this character with a ponytail, and that’s always where we got kind of left off.”

Stylecaster reported Theron as saying she felt “great” about the short cut—and there’s no doubt that the style lends itself perfectly to the warmer weather. Of course, Theron’s flawless bone structure helps the cut look extra fabulous. 

Charlize Theron transformed herself for movies like ‘Monster’ and ‘Bombshell’

Over the course of her career in Hollywood, Theron has transformed herself physically for several major roles. One of the most shocking transformations was in 2003 when she portrayed the serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. According to The Things, Theron gained 30 pounds in three months, eliminating exercise from her daily routine and focusing on ingesting more carbs. The actor also wore prosthetic dentures and contact lenses to change the color of her eyes from blue to brown. Ultimately, the work paid off, and Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role.

More recently, Theron portrayed Megyn Kelly in Bombshell, a transformation that involved changing the look of her airline and replicating Kelly’s almond-shaped eyes and recognizable features with the help of clever prosthetics. According to The Hollywood Reporter, an entire group of makeup artists and on-set hair artisans had to work together in order to complete the effect – helping Theron to score her third Academy Award nomination as a result.