Charlize Theron has said she wants to "fight against" what she perceives as unfair double standards for female actors over 40 in Hollywood.
The actor, 48, said she “despise[s] the concept” that while men “age like fine wines” women do so “like cut flowers”.
"I also think women want to age in a way that feels right to them," Theron told Allure magazine. "I think we need to be a little bit more empathetic to how we all go through our journey. My journey of having to see my face on a billboard is quite funny now.”
She also spoke about her own experiences of getting older: “My face is changing, and I love that my face is changing and aging.”
Theron emerged as a star in the 1990s before winning an Oscar for Monster in 2003, in which she played serial killer Aileen Wuornos. Other key roles include Mad Max: Fury Road, Snow White and the Huntsman, Young Adult, Tully and Atomic Blonde. She is currently to be seen in the latest Fast and Furious film.
The star has also worked extensively in modeling, most notably for Dior, and said that despite being accustomed to scrutiny, she remained frustrated by assumptions people made about whether she'd had work done to her face.
"People think I had a face-lift," she said. "They're like, 'What did she do to her face?' I'm like, 'Bitch, I'm just aging! It doesn't mean I got bad plastic surgery. This is just what happens.''