Charlize Theron says Hollywood gives men ‘a free ride’ after flops while women lose chances

Charlize Theron slams Hollywood’s double standard: men flop and get chances; women fail once and are side-lined.

Charlize Theron is speaking out against what she sees as a long-standing double standard in Hollywood's action genre. In a recent interview with The New York Times, the Oscar-winning actor criticized the industry for giving men repeated opportunities despite box office failures, while women are rarely afforded the same grace.

“Yeah, it’s harder. That’s known,” said Theron, who has headlined action films like Æon Flux, Atomic Blonde, and Mad Max: Fury Road. “Action films with female leads don’t get greenlit as much as the ones with male leads... guys will get a free ride.”

Theron pointed out that when women front an action movie that doesn’t perform well, they’re often shut out of similar roles in the future. “When women do this and the movie maybe doesn’t hit fully, they don’t necessarily get a chance again,” she said. “But [studios] will take [the risk] many times on the same guy who might have a string of action movies that did not do so well.”

The actor’s comments come as she promotes The Old Guard 2, a new Netflix sequel in which she performs her own stunts, despite the physical toll. Over the years, Theron has undergone multiple surgeries related to action roles, including neck, shoulder, and elbow injuries.

Even so, Theron remains undeterred by the physical demands. Describing one scene where she hung from a helicopter, she said: “If I pull this off, I’m gonna be okay with never doing a stunt again.”

The Old Guard 2 is now streaming on Netflix.