The floodgates atFox News broke open in 2016.

Former anchor Gretchen Carlson suedformer Fox News chairman and CEO, the late RogerAiles,forsexual harassment.Other female employees, including anchorMegyn Kelly, also began speaking out abouta toxic culture in their workplace.

In Kelly's2016 memoir, "Settle for More," the anchorsaid Ailes"made sexual comments" and "offers of professional advancement in exchange for sexual favors.

Kelly also Business Insiderthat she reported Ailes' sexual advances to a supervisorbut was toldto simply steer clear of him.

The film "Bombshell," starring Charlize Theron asKelly,Nicole Kidman asCarlson andMargot Robbie as a composite character producer Kayla Pospisil chronicles thewomen's journey to expose the abuse.

Ailes resigned in July 2016, reportedly witha severance package of$40 million, and denied all allegations.

Charlize Theron stars as Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly in "Bombshell."(Photo: Hilary B Gayle)

But a culture of silencebegan to splinter.

A year later, film producer and Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein was embroiled in sexual abuse allegations,and #MeTootrended widely on social mediaas other men and women went public about surviving sexual harassment and abuse. Actors Louis C.K. and Kevin Spacey,Boston Symphony Orchestra music director James Levine,PBS and CBS host Charlie Rose, and Democratic Sen. Al Franken weresome of the high-profile starsaccused of sexual misconduct.

While the scandal at Fox News the most-watched news network in America with a reputation for conservative political commentary didn't surprise Theron,the women who spoke out did.

"There was a moment of thinking, Wow, what an unusual group of women to bring forth something like this and get thisresult," said Theron, who will receive the International Star Award, Actress for her performance in "Bombshell" at the 2020 Palm Springs International Film Festival.

Charlize Theron: 'Bombshell' actress to receive award at Palm Springs film festival

Martin Scorsese: 'The Irishman' director to receive award at Palm Springs film festival

Jennifer Lopez: 'Hustlers' star to receive award at Palm Springs film festival

The actress, who has publicly discussed being sexually harassed during her first audition, saidHollywood is better because of the #MeToo movement.

"Weve seen real consequences for a lot of this behavior," Theron said in a recent interview with The Desert Sun."People are definitely trying to re-educate themselves and be more sensitive as to how they are on a set, and human resources is more involved. When people speak up, its taken seriously."

When Theron first received the offer to play the role of Kelly, however, she was uncertainbecauseof the anchor's well-known personality.

"I asked,Is that even feasible?Will I even be able to do this in a way where the movie will still shine and Im not distracted thinking, Does that even look like Megyn Kelly?" Theron said. "Its all those things,and it just took (director) Jay Roach as a filmmaker to get me to cross that line."

Charlize Theron (left) as Megyn Kelly and Liv Hewson (right) as Lily Balin in "Bombshell."

(Photo: Hilary B Gayle)

While it's common foractors to meet the subjects they are playing in biographical moviesespecially if the person is still aliveTheron chose not to meet withKelly.

"It was my choice. It just felt like too much pressure," Theron said."I had access to so much information that it would have been weird for her and too much pressure for me. If I didnt have access to what I had and all the sources I did, it might have been different. But I had a lot to work from."

To take on the role of Kelly, Theron used the same physical actingmethodshe did for the 2003 film, "Monster," in which shewon an Oscar for her performance asconvicted serial killerAileen Wuornos.Critics not only praised Theron's physical transformationfor that film, but also how well she portrayed someone with antisocial and borderline personality disorders.

Just as she focused onWuornos'physicality and body language, she found ituseful to do the same for"Bombshell."

"Theres a lot of the physical things on both Megyn and Aileen, their physicality told a lot of their emotional story," Theron said."It takes months to get to that conclusion, how someone is hearing themselves and how it expresses their emotional journey.

"You just try to get access to as muchinformation as you can," Theron continued."You look at it from an investigative angle and try to get anything you possibly can, and sit with it as long as you can tostart deciphering it and live with it, so what youre reading on a page might start to tell you a different story or you start seeing behaviorforming youto who the person is."

There aredifferences to playing a serial killer and a famed female news anchor, but Therontried to expressthe humanity of both despite their infamous personas.

Charlize Theron and Christina Ricci in a scene from the motion picture "Monster."(Photo: XXX NEWMARKET FILMS)

"I told Aileen'sstory during the last two years of her life with a few flashbacks, but its condensed into those last couple years of her life where circumstances came into play andshe found herself informed byher humanity," Theron said.

"Its the same of Megyn.The year and half we focus on atFox News, her circumstances were rough. She was a rock star thereand she was re-negotiating one of the biggest deals in their history. She put this thing behind her that happened 10 years earlier and didnt want to be defined by it."

(Before Kelly left Fox in 2017, she was re-negotiatingher contract andthe networkwas prepared to pay her more than $20 million a year,according to the New York Times.)

"(Kelly) had a moral dilemma of liking(Ailes) and thought he was someone who elevated her to where she was," Theron said."All those things come into play when you deal with a human being. Those are human conflicts I can wrap my head around. I might not necessarily agree with everything she says and does, but the circumstances are whats interesting to me."

Charlize Theron (left) as Megyn Kelly and John Lithgow (right) as Roger Ailes in the 2019 film "Bombshell."

(Photo: Courtesy of Hilary B Gayle)

'Pushing the envelope' with physicality

Before becomingan actress, Theronpursued a career in ballet but her knees gave out while studying at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. She moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and was discovered by talent agent John Crosby.

Havingtrained as a ballet dancer,Theron said she finds iteasy to tell a character's story through physicality as she didto embody characters like Wuornos and Kelly.

"Physicality is something I pay more attention to than what theysay," Theron said."I think characters are like human beings. We dont always say whats going on and we tend to say whats not going on. Were deflecting and not talking about the things that are really going on. Its your body, its your postureand those things tell you way more about a person than whats coming out of their mouths."

Charlize Theron is a stressed-out mom whose perspective is changed when she receives a gift: a nanny named "Tully."(Photo: Kimberly French/Focus Features)

Butthisfocus on physicality can have consequences.In 2005, Theron starred in an action film based on the animated series "on Flux"and injured herself while performing a stunt in the movie.

"I did a back-handspring and I landed on my neck and I herniated a disk between fiveand six," Theron said. "You can always get hurt. Youre pushing the envelope with this physical stuff. Its the work you put in before, its the many months youve trained for something and you get it perfect."

"Theres always a chance somethingcan go wrong. You work around it and thats part of what those movies are."

For Theron, physicality is a window into a character's humanity. Throughout her career, she's taken on roles that allow for honest dialogue peopledealingwith real-life situationsthat only seem to get worse, or don't resolve by the end credits.

Prior to "Bombshell," Kellyworked on two films with director Jason Reitmanknown for "Juno" and "Up in the Air" who she says "taps into interesting human behavior." She playedan alcoholic, young adult series writerin the 2011 movie"Young Adult" and a pregnant struggling mother of twoin last year's "Tully."

"I tend to have to push on directors the not-so-human behavior because its much easier to do things that are easier to swallow and wrap your arms around," Theron said."A lot of directors are in the business to tell those stories because its easier. The more the audience likesyou, the better the movie is."

Charlize Theron (left) stars as Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly in the film, "Bombshell."(Photo: HILARY B. GAYLE)

As a mother of two adopted children, and having friends who struggled with postpartum depression, she found her role in "Tully" to be important in educating the public about anotherreal-life subject affecting women.

"That story was very personal to me," Theron said."It was her experience with her third child and I had a friend while I was making that film who was going through severe postpartum. Its something we dont talk about enough. I thought she represented so much of what motherhood is and nobody wants to admit."

Throughout her career, Theron hasn'tshiedawayfrom roles that offer an honest, unflinching look atcontroversial issues including those affecting women that may not be widely talked about, frompostpartum depression to sexual harassment.

"I can see a lot of change," Theron said of the #MeToo movement's effect onHollywood."It doesnt mean we dont have a long way to go, but I think where we are today versus five years ago is night and day."

What: Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards Gala

Where: Palm Springs Convention Center,277 N. Avenida Caballeros, Palm Springs

When: Jan. 2, 2020

Catch up on all the action at deserts.co

Charlize Theron in "Bombshell."

(Photo: Hilary B Gayle/SMPSP)

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers artsand entertainment. Hecan be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or (760) 778-4617. Support local news, subscribe to The Desert Sun.

Originally posted here:
'When people speak up, its taken seriously:' Charlize Theron on playing Megyn Kelly in 'Bombshell' - Desert Sun