Charlize Theron Says New Netflix Movie Made Her Realize ‘What Makes Life Matter Is Death’

Ally Mauch
·2 min read

Charlize Theron is reflecting on her new action movie, The Old Guard, in which she plays a character who is immortal.

The actress, 44, spoke with Today’s Hoda Kotb Thursday to discuss the film, out on Netflix July 10. Kotb asked Theron whether The Old Guard prompted her to think more about the topic of immortality.

“We spent a lot of time developing this project and I spent a lot of time thinking about that question,” she responded. “The conclusion that I have come up with is that I think immortality comes with a lot of pain and loneliness and suffering, and I think the film really explores that."

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“You see — especially through two characters, one of them being my character — just a loneliness of walking this earth and having to lose the people that you love over and over and over again,” Theron continued. “And the frustration of seeing the world not really changing.”

“I think what makes life matter is death,” Theron told Kotb. “[It’s] knowing that we have to appreciate every second because it could all be gone tomorrow.”

Aimee Spinks/NETFLIX Charlize Theron

The Old Guard is an action film about a group of soldiers who have covertly been protecting the world for centuries — and all have the same very handy skill of being able to heal themselves quickly, even from what would be fatal injuries.

RELATED: Charlize Theron 'Finally' Conquered Her Fear of Riding Horses for New Movie: 'It Was Therapeutic'

In the first trailer, Theron’s Andromache of Scythia, who just goes by “Andy” now, and her group of fighters discover their first new recruit in centuries, U.S. Marine Nile Freeman (Kiki Layne).

However, while Theron and her crew of immortal fighters have sharpened their skill set over the years, part of the job requires that they stay in the shadows, and as that’s no longer as easy as it once was, the team finds themselves on the radar of a new enemy, who wants to unlock the secrets of their DNA and weaponize them.