Charlize Theron says she ‘loved’ going bisexual for Atomic Blonde film
Spoilers for Atomic Blonde below
Charlize Theron has said she “just loved” going bisexual for her new film, Atomic Blonde.
The movie, which comes out in a few weeks, sees Theron kick ass while playing agent Lorraine Broughton, further shattering stereotypes which were already reeling from the awe-inspiring Wonder Woman.
Plus, instead of hooking up with male co-star James McAvoy, as dictated by heteronormative movie tradition, she has sex with another female spy, played by Sofia Boutella.
And she was a big fan.
“I just loved it,” Theron told Variety, “for so many reasons.
The first reason, she said, was her “frustration of how that community is represented in cinema, or lack thereof.
“And also, it made perfect sense. It just suited her,” Theron continued.
“It just felt there was a way through that relationship and the fact that it was a same-sex relationship to show a woman not having to fall in love, which is one of those female tropes.
“It’s a woman; she better fall in love – otherwise, she’s a whore!” she added, mocking the trope.
Theron, an Academy Award winner who produced Atomic Blonde, said the scene was “one of my most proudest parts of the development” of the film.
“And then finding Sofia, that was a slam dunk,” she added.
“There’s something about her that’s so broken and vulnerable. It works.”
It is not known why Boutella has to be damaged to sleep with Theron’s character, but for now, she deserves the benefit of the doubt.
The actor and producer also promised that the film would not shy away from displaying the lesbian love scene properly, saying: “James Bond doesn’t have such hot you-know-what.
“I loved that we didn’t hide under the sheets.”
The creation of Theron’s bisexual hero comes a few months after Power Rangers included the first ever lesbian superhero on the big screen, in the shape of Trini, the Yellow Ranger.
This isn’t the first time Theron has played an LGBT character.
Her portrayal of real-life mass murderer Aileen Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster earned her the Best Actress awards at the Oscars and the Golden Globes.
She has also been a long-time LGBT activist.
In 2009, she pledged not to marry her long-term boyfriend at the time, Stuart Townsend, until same-sex marriage was legal across the US.
Watch a trailer for Atomic Blonde below:
