Charlize Theron claims Kim Kardashian has 'more value than Meryl Streep' in 'age of reality television'
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Kim Kardashian is among the most powerful people in the entertainment industry, according to Hollywood actress Charlize Theron. She acknowledged that neither she nor legendary actress Meryl Streep possess the same level of influence as the Kardashian. "The market is really different today, and the fame that worked 20 years ago, the fame that was cash in the bank, is different now," she reportedly said.
"We are living in a time of reality television, and God knows I love me some reality TV," the 'Mad Max: Fury Road' actress said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "So, the marketplace of what Kim Kardashian represents – and not in a negative way because I watch everything that she does – has way more value than what Meryl Streep, one of the greatest actresses working, does," she continued, adding, "And that's just the truth. They have very different skills, but if you were Kim Kardashian, you'd probably get way more off the ground."
READ MORE
According to News.au, Oscar and Golden Globe winner, Theron, has numerous endorsement deals with major companies including Dior and Breitling watches, but Kim has grown even more influential due to her work on TV, on her SKIMS clothing line, in fashion and as an influencer. As a result, Theron's net worth is roughly $170M while Kim's is approximately $1.8B. Kim also has a total of 334 million followers on Instagram, allowing her to reach out to a much larger audience while Theron only has 7.1 million followers.
Theron also discussed her unexpected ascent to stardom as a result of the 1996 movie '2 Days in the Valley' in the interview. She remembered how the movie's marketing focused on provocative images of her in her underwear. She said, "It was a lot. I remember standing on Sunset Boulevard [looking at the billboards of my photo], like, 'Oh my God.'" She added, "The way I was raised was very body positive, so it wasn't so much, 'Oh, I'm in lingerie', I didn't make the connection of how wrong that was until way later. It was more just overwhelming, like, 'Holy s**t, I'm working with Danny Aiello and Glenne Headly.'"
Theron said that she made the decision not to accept roles that would only seek to capitalize on her body following that incident. "For me, back then, it was a feeling of, 'I don't want to be in white lingerie again. I want to do something completely different,'" she explained, adding, "We're having such a conversation now around opportunities, and it's a really tricky one to have, but I think that actors, instinctively, know that they want to challenge themselves and want to play things outside of who they are. I don't think you build a career by playing yourself."
"Luke Evans just said something great about this," she went on, adding, "He said, basically, 'I wouldn’t have a career if I only played gay.' And I know it’s his personal story, and other people will have their own stories, and I am not a minority, so I have no place in saying this, but, for me, back then, it was a feeling of, 'I don’t want to be in white lingerie again. I want to do something completely different."'