They made your hands clammy, your knees quiver and sent your hormones spinning when you were a dyke-in-training. This week it’s an Oscar-winning stunner who’s set to take on Kristen Stewart in Snow White and the Huntsman, as well as kick ass in the upcoming Alien prequel.

Name:
Charlize Theron.

Also known as:
The first South African to win an Academy Award in a major acting category – that’s Best Actress for her role in Monster, in case you didn’t already know.

Not to be confused with:
Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Cameron Diaz, Renee Zellwegger, Halle Berry or any other A-list Hollywood actress who can carry their own film.

Last seen:
In the trailer for her film Young Adult.

Best feature:
Sexy eyes and legs that go on and on.

Most likely to:
Give you a renewed interest in fairytales. Preview pics recently released for Snow White and the Huntsman had us spellbound when we saw Charlize, as the evil queen, appear to rise sensationally from a bath of milk.

Least likely to:
Get married. Although she is a staunch supporter of gay marriage in the States, it’s not something she wants for herself. “Marriage – before I felt this way about this issue – was never something important to me”, she told Piers Morgan. “I really want for myself a long-term relationship and I have been in long-term relationships... The actual ceremony is not something that is important to me – but I see the importance for other people”.

Is she a sista?
No – one of the “long-term relationships” she was referring to was with actor Stuart Townsend, who she was with for over a decade. However, she has had relationships with women onscreen, notably in Monster with Chrisina Ricci and Head in the Clouds, in which she plays Gilda, a bisexual woman in love with both a man named Guy and a woman named Mia, played by Penelope Cruz. Note to self – must find this on DVD.

Phwoarrr rating?
Astronomical.

Do mention:
Her upcoming film Prometheus, which is being touted as a prequel to Alien. We don’t know much about it yet, but the very little footage that’s already been released shows Charlize exercising in next to nothing.

“When I’m naked, I really like to do push-ups”, joked good sport Charlize at a recent Comic Con panel about the footage and getting her kit off on film. “I’ve never been in a position where I’ve been like, ‘This doesn’t feel right’. I wouldn’t do it if I felt that. I like the shock value of it. I think that if you use it correctly, it’s really effective”. No arguments here, Charlize.

Don’t mention:
When she’s thinking of settling down and getting married – she doesn’t need to wear a white dress and walk down an aisle, thank you very much.

Young Adult opens in UK cinemas on 3 February 2012.

Image © Universal Studios.