10 Times Actors Had Personal Reasons For Taking Film Roles
7. Charlize Theron Just Really Wanted To Work With John Frankenheimer
Charlize Theron has become one of the most respected, versatile and objectively beautiful actresses of this generation, but she didn't have it easy. Abused by an alcoholic father in her native South Africa, her mother later gunned him down in front of her in self-defense.
But she slowly worked her way from a non-speaking role in a Children of the Corn sequel to a Rosemary's Baby-esque hysterical wife in The Devil's Advocate all the way to an Academy Award for Monster. She refuses to be typecast, firing agents that offer sexed-up roles in movies like Species. And, as proven in last year's Long Shot, she can admirably balance the all-too-common overworked businesswoman role with broad comedy and empathy.
So she can be forgiven for taking an early role in what turned out to be legendary director John Frankenheimer's last film, Reindeer Games. In fact, most of the cast can, as they all just wanted a chance to be alongside the man behind The Manchurian Candidate.
And Reindeer Games was a far cry from The Manchurian Candidate. It's a contrived, unbelievable mess of a film, with plot twists that are more irritating than shocking,
In a 2007 interview with Esquire, Theron tried to make amends: "Reindeer Games was not a good movie, but I did it because I loved John Frankenheimer."