Theron thanks her mom for acting career

LONDON - Hollywood actress Charlize Theron hit rock bottom when her dreams of becoming a prima ballerina were shattered but it was her mother who encouraged her to try her luck at acting instead.

The South African beauty trained as a ballet dancer in New York City, but a knee injury at 19 left her devastated and ruined any chance she had of turning her passion into a career. Now the star has heaped praise on her mother for helping her out of her slump and launching her Hollywood career, reported imdb.com.

“I remember at night, crying my eyes out and eating four pints of ice cream because I couldnt dance anymore, and my mom saying Well, why dont you try acting? Because of that, Im standing on a red carpet today, said the actress.

The actress has gone on to star in a series of hit films and even scooped an Academy Award for her performance in 2003 movie Monster.