Charlize Theron wants daughters to 'have a backbone'

'Mad Max' star Charlize Theron wants her young daughters to "have a backbone".

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Charlize Theron wants her daughters to be strong
Charlize Theron wants her daughters to be strong

Charlize Theron wants her daughters to "have a backbone".

The 47-year-old actress - who has daughters Jackson, 10, and seven-year-old August - was recognised with the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award at The Hollywood Reporter’s annual Women in Entertainment gala this week, and before the event she revealed the values she wants to instill in her kids.

Arriving at the ceremony on Wednesday (07.12.22), she told 'Extra': "I just had this conversation with them… I was like, ‘You just need to have a backbone.’

"The next day, my daughter texted me, my little baby texted me and she goes, ‘Mom, I hope you have a great day. I hope you find your backbone because you have the best backbone and I hope I have your backbone because you have the best backbone.’ ”

The 'Mad Max' star admitted neither of her kids were particularly excited about her being honoured this week, because they just view it as their mum's job.

She added: “They just of this as work… I don’t think any of this makes sense to them like they just don’t… That’s great and I really love that.”

Meanwhile, Charlize also discussed how her own mother inspired her as a kid, hailing her as a "trailblazer".

She said: "I had such a great example of a woman who woke up at the, you know, crack of dawn and went and ran a road construction business when no woman was doing that in South Africa.

"If I didn’t do something with my life, I would have been waste to humanity, just purely being bred and raised by that trailblazer.”

And when it comes to advice she's received, she admitted "blunt" actress Frances McDormand gave her the best tip for her career.

She told her: "Don't take any s***."

Charlize added: "Those women have always, I guess, energised me."