In 1995, Charlize Theron was newly arrived in Hollywood after stints as a model and a dancer, living in a fleabag motel, and running out of money. Her mother had sent the 20-year-old Theron a check from South Africa, but when she went to the bank to cash it, they refused her. Fed up, Theron threw what has been repeatedly called "a tantrum." That argument, coupled with her beauty, caught the eye of an agent, who promptly handed over his business card. Fast-forward a few months later, and Theron, in white lingerie, towered over Los Angeles in billboards for 2 Days in the Valley.
