Academy Award® winning actress and UN Messenger of Peace, Charlize Theron hosted the second annual summer block party to benefit The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP) at Universal Studios Backlot. The outdoor event featured an opening weekend screening of Jurassic World Dominion following a special Q&A with the stars of the film, including Jeff Goldblum, Bryce Dallas Howard, DeWanda Wise, and Mamoudou Athie, as well as director Colin Trevorrow and writer, Emily Carmichael. Charlize moderated the conversation. Wyclef Jean also brought the audience to their feet with a special performance of “No Woman, No Cry,” “Ready or Not,” “Maria Maria,” and “Hips Don’t Lie” ahead of the Q&A. (Image Used By Permission From Stephanie Keenan By Getty Images For CTAOP/ Key # 383h8k28rb5bfrsjcw3fmrf7)
Event Guests
Additional guests in attendance included Jordana Brewster, Lilly Singh, Mary McCormack, June Diane Raphael, Sofia Boutella, Paul Scheer, Lauren Conrad, Peter Cramer, Donna Langley, Sasha Merci, Alycia Pascual-Pena, Chef Andrew Zimmern, Reign Edwards, Luke Eisner, David Huggard, Delaney Rowe, Mike Manning, Vas Morgan, Alexandra Nechita, Will Peltz, Alyssa Sutherland, Hannah Skvarla, Michael Moses, Sarah Scott, and London Lazerson, who enjoyed the summer block party activities including a bandana customizing booth, tarot card reader, tequila tasting, and a mechanical bull, while DJ Kiss kept the music flowing.
The menu for the evening was curated by Chef Andrew Zimmern and Chef Melissa King. It was inspired by international street food. A silent and live auction also took place, offering experiences and products from different brands. These included Dior, Valentino, Whispering Angel, Jenni Kayne, Jimmy Choo, artist Alexandra Nechita, Pernod Ricard, 4 Seasons, and Breitling.
The event was sponsored by Dior, Universal, Ascent Global Logistics, XX Artists, Bloomberg, Pernod Ricard, Whispering Angel, Breitling, Ultimate Kronos Group, WME, and The Little Market.
The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project
The Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project advances the health, education, and safety of South Africans. The foundation does this by partnering with community-based organizations that support young people. They also support their sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the prevention of gender-based violence. By mobilizing funding and relationships, strengthening capacity, and bringing awareness to the work of our Program Partners, CTAOP supports youth as they pursue a healthier, more equitable future for themselves and their communities.
CTAOP’s main vision is a more equitable future where ALL young people can stay healthy and safe.
In late 2021, CTAOP partnered with the Ford Foundation in its initiative to support COVID-19 vaccine equity. Through this partnership, Charlize and Ford Foundation President Darren Walker co-authored a piece in TIME Magazine. They also appeared on BBC and CBS mornings, and CTAOP provided grants to community-based organizations in South Africa to tackle the structural inequities that hinder equal access to COVID-19 vaccines. More recently, the KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa suffered the most devastating floods on record. It killed almost 450 people and displaced thousands. CTAOP provided emergency response funding to organizations in the region providing food and basic needs, support for school children, psychosocial support, the rebuilding of homes and community structures, and other community-specific responses.
About Charlize Theron
South African-born and Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron are one of the most celebrated actresses of our time. She captivates the audience with her ability to embody a range of characters. In 2019, she portrayed Megyn Kelly in Lionsgate’s Bombshell that her production company Denver and Delilah produced. She received nominations for a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and an Academy Award for her remarkable performance.
Over the years, Charlize has appeared in numerous films including The Devil’s Advocate, The Cider House Rules, and the critically acclaimed Monster for which she earned an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and an Independent Spirit Award, North Country for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Critics Choice Award, Hancock, Young Adult for which she garnered a Golden Globe nomination, HBO’s The Life and Death of Peter Sellers for which she received a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Emmy nominations, Snow White and the Huntsman, A Million Ways to Die in the West, Mad Max: Fury Road, Dark Places, Kubo and the Two Strings and The Fate of The Furious.
Charlize Theron Productions
In 2017, Theron produced starred in the Universal film Atomic Blonde, alongside James McAvoy. Denver and Delilah also produced Mindhunter, the hit Netflix crime drama that same year. Theron also produced Netflix’s Hyperdrive which launched in August 2019.
In 2018, Theron produced and starred in Amazon’s Gringo alongside Joel Edgerton and Amanda Seyfried. Theron reunited with Diablo Cody on the comedy Tully as both an actor and producer. She received a 2019 Golden Globe nomination for her work in the title role. That same year, she also produced A Private War, a film based on the”Marie Colvin’s Private War” article. In 2019, Theron produced and starred opposite Seth Rogen in the Lionsgate comedy Long Shot. She voiced Morticia Addams in the animated revival of The Addams Family.
Most recently, Theron can be seen in Netflix’s The Old Guard. It is based on the comic book series by Greg Rucka and illustrator Leandro Fernández. The film drew 78M Netflix households worldwide in its first 28 days on the platform. Theron also recently reprised her role as “Cipher” in the 9th installment of the Fast and Furious franchise. It was released in theaters in June 2021. Also in 2021, Theron lent her voice again as Morticia Addams for The Addams Family 2.
Future Projects
Next up, Theron will also star alongside Kerry Washington in Paul Feig’s The School for Good and Evil for Netflix set to hit the platform in 2022. A sequel to Netflix’s The Old Guard is also underway. Up next, Theron will also produce The Final Girl Support Group. It is based on the horror novel by New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix for HBO MAX.
In addition to Theron’s acting success and principal involvement with her production company Denver & Delilah, Charlize serves as a United Nations Messenger of Peace and founder of the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP). CTAOP’s mission is to advance the health, education, and safety of young people living in Southern Africa through its support of community-engaged organizations and youth on the front lines of change.
CTAOP serves as a vehicle for transformative and sustainable community-driven solutions. With the help of CARE and Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), Charlize and CTAOP launched ‘Together for Her’: a campaign to help fight gender-based violence during COVID-19. In 2021, CTAOP also partnered with the Ford Foundation on a global vaccine equity campaign. Learn more about CTAOP at www.charlizeafricaoutreach.org.