An unusual experience with a male director made actress Charlize Theron start her own production company, Denver & Delilah in 2003.

Charlize Theron is a great actress. She’s the real beauty with brains, who’s charismatic and logical. With at least 65 movie roles under her belt, Theron has become the greatest of all actors.

The South African-American actress is not just a commendable actor but also a great producer. She’s even the founder of her production company, Denver & Delilah.

Charlize Theron in a still from the movie
Just like the name of the company, there is also an interesting fact behind Theron’s inspiration to start her own production house. It was when she had an awkward experience with a male director that made her feel uncomfortable on set.

Charlize Theron’s Production Company Was Born From an Awkward Experience With a Male Director

In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Charlize Theron shared that there was a male director who once made her wear multiple costumes. As the Mad Max actress said that “having absolutely no control over what you’re wearing is a big one that really fucking annoyed me for years.” She recalled the incident with the male director:

“And I remember one movie in particular, this male director who just kept bringing me in, fitting after fitting after fitting after … And it was just so obvious that it was to do with my s*xuality and how f*ckable they could make me in the movie. And when I started out, that was just kind of the norm.” 

The actress did not specify who the director was and for which movie he made her do that. But she did tell in the interview that having more autonomy over costumes and makeup was (one of the reasons) she created her production company, Denver & Delilah.

More About Charlize Theron’s Production Company

Charlize Theron started her own production company, Denver and Delilah, in 2003. It is based in Los Angeles, California. The Hollywood star named it after her two cocker spaniel dogs.

She became a producer not just to get personal roles for herself but to influence behind-the-scenes decisions. As the 48-year-old said on Variety, “I really think I became a producer because I love the nuance of storytelling.”

The company has co-produced 15 films with other production houses. Whereas it has produced three series (two on Netflix and one on HBO) to date. The company’s film productions include 2003’s Monster, 2006’s East of Havana, 2007’s Sleepwalking, 2011’s Young Adult, and 2017’s Atomic Blonde.