10 Actresses Who Made An Unexpected Splash In Popular Franchises

8. Charlize Theron - Mad Max: Fury Road

Though Theron had action movie credentials (for the purposes of this article I'm forced to mention Aeon Flux) and is generally acknowledged as an actress who likes to mix it up a bit, casting her as Furiosa in Mad Max certainly came out of left field for many. Perhaps it was the decades of time that elapsed between Beyond Thunderdome and Fury Road, but fans were under the distinct impression Mr Rockatansky dominated the action. Mel Gibson's career-making performance may also have created that impression. So when she rocked up in the post-calamity Outback the extent of her character's role surprised critics, who wondered why Tom Hardy's Max appeared to take a somewhat tattered backseat. They forgot that, just as cultural influence The Man With No Name drifted in and out of proceedings, so did the maniac of the title. Meanwhile this female side of the equation helped drive the film all the way to the Oscars. Former model Theron proved to be the toughest nut out the pack.