Oscar-winning South African Charlize Theron yesterday met the country’s former president Nelson Mandela, and told him, “You inspired me, I love you so much.” She then burst into tears.

Without apparent irony, the former president praised Theron for “putting the country on the map”.

The meeting was part of the homecoming Theron promised South Africans during her acceptance speech, when she waved the statuette at the camera, and announced, “I’d like to thank South Africa. I’m bringing this home next week.”

Theron is fast becoming Hollywood’s go-to actor for gritty female roles. Fresh from her Academy Award triumph for portraying an unbalanced serial killer in Monster, she is now preparing to star in the sexual harassment drama Class Action for Whale Rider director Niki Caro.

According to Variety Theron would play a much-abused woman who becomes the key plaintiff in America’s first successful sexual harassment prosecution. Before that, however, the boot will be on the other foot as Theron prepares to play a superhuman assassin in the sci-fi thriller Aeon Flux, which shoots in July.