Theron was
born in
Benoni,
South Africa. Her father,
Charles Theron, was a construction company owner of French Huguenot descent; her mother, Gerda, is of German descent and took over her husband\\\'s business after his
death. Theron\\\'s first language is Afrikaans.
She is also fluent in
English and speaks some Xhosa, as well as having varying
levels of fluency in around thirty other African languages and dialects,
learned from
neighbors and employees on her parents\\\'
farm. In the
United States, both in her films and while being interviewed,
etc., Theron speaks with a typical
American accent and style of
speech, leading most
people to assume
she is American. \\"Theron\\" is a French surname pronounced in Afrikaans as \\"Tronn,\\" although she has said that she prefers the pronunciation \\"Thrown.\\"[1] The pronunciation commonly
used in the United States involves two syllables, with
stress on the first. Theron grew up as the only child on her parents\\\' farm near
Johannesburg (Benoni) and was
sent to a boarding school at the age of
thirteen. At fifteen, Theron witnessed the death of her father, an abusive alcoholic; her mother shot him in self-defense when he attacked her. No charges were pressed.
; "Charlize Theron")
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