It might seem like every milestone in the history of the Academy Awards has already been achieved, but when the 76th ceremony began on February 29, 2004 at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood, there was at least one more left to set.
That was thanks to Charlize Theron, who in her first Oscar nomination won the lead actress award for her portrayal of a serial killer in “Monster.” Although she was not the first South African nominated in an Oscar category, she was the first actress from that country to win an Oscar. Theron took the stage wearing a dress made by Tom Ford for Gucci and accessories including $25,000 Chopard earrings. She (she presumably left her Lana Marks purse, valued at $50,000, in the hands of her date, actor and then-boyfriend Stuart Townsend).
Pucker
But before her speech, Theron had to wait for her host, Adrien Brody, to do a little trick. Brody had made headlines when he won the lead actor award at the 2003 Oscars and planted a surprise kiss on her. his host, Halle Berry. Before opening the envelope to read Theron's name, Brody pulled out a breath freshener spray and took a couple of sprays. (Admittedly, Theron gave her a small kiss on the lips when she came on stage, but nothing like the dramatic splash she had given Berry.)
Clearly emotional, Theron thanked her family and “Monster” director Patty Jenkins, along with the producers and crew, and her co-star Christina Ricci, whom she called “the unsung heroine of this movie.” She then added: “I'm going to thank everyone in South Africa, my home country. Everyone is watching tonight and I'll bring this home next week. And I have to thank my amazing partner in crime. You are a great companion to have. Thank you very much for being by my side. and my mom [Gerda Jacoba Aletta Maritz, who was in the audience]. “You have sacrificed a lot to be able to live here and make my dreams come true, and there are no words to describe how much I love you.”
The actress choked up a bit when referring to her mother and later told Ryan Seacrest in an interview with People magazine: “I knew I couldn't look at her.” [during the speech], because if I looked at her, I couldn't get over it.” And she added: “I was just a mess.”
Another milestone in Australia
Theron wasn't the only one to set a record that night; Her fellow nominee Keisha Castle-Hughes, who had earned her first (and so far only) nomination for “Whale Rider,” was just 13 when the nominations were announced. That made her the youngest person nominated in the category, until 2013, when 9-year-old Quvenzhané Wallis was nominated for her lead role in “Beasts of the Southern Wild.”
The category was fierce with competition that year. Diane Keaton, nominated for the comedy “Something's Gotta Give,” already had an Oscar since 1978 for “Annie Hall” and two other nominations: “Reds” (in 1982) and “Marvin's Room” (in 1997). Samantha Morton’s nomination for “In America” was her second; The first came in 2000, for “Sweet and Lowdown,” a film starring Sean Penn, who would win that night for “Mystic River.” Naomi Watts' nomination for “21 Grams” was her first, and in 2013 she got her second, for “The Impossible.”
