The hit film Monster may have won Charlize Theron an Oscar, but not everyone saw potential in her performance that came along with a physical transformation to better look the part. Released in 2003, Monster was directly based on the story of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute turned serial killer who murdered six men between 1989 and 1990. Though she claimed to have acted in self-defense, Wuornos was executed for the killings in 2002.

To tell the story of Wuornos with Monster, Wonder Woman helmer Patty Jenkins enlisted Theron to play the serial killer. Theron had taken the part seriously, and to better look the part, she had undergone a makeover which included shaving her eyebrows and putting on 30 pounds. This was in line with the vision Jenkins also had for the film, but when a financier first saw early footage of Theron in the role, the project was put into jeopardy. As Theron explains in a new interview with THR, she says she then boarded Monster as a producer to join Jenkins in fighting to keep their vision for the film intact, regardless of how “ugly” her makeover made her appear in the eyes of a suit.

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From the interview:

How Jenkins reacted at that time has served as an inspiration for Theron that has stuck with her to this day. She goes on to easy that there are times when she has to ask herself what Jenkins and other inspirations would do when she finds herself in difficult situations.

Monster Won Charlize Theron an Oscar

     Newmarket Films

Jenkins and Theron turned out to be right, as Monster was a big hit even with Theron looking far unlike the previous roles she’d played. The movie, which co-starred Christina Ricci as Wuornos’ lover, was a box office success in addition to scoring big at various award shows. That notably includes the Academy Awards, where Theron herself took home Best Actress for her role in the film. Legendary critic Roger Ebert had even described the portrayal as “one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema.”

You can revisit Monster by streaming the film where it’s currently available on multiple services, such as Netflix and the free platform Tubi.