Charlize Theron is one of the best actors working today. Fiercely independent, she's commanded fear and respect more than charm and likability, injecting much of her personal verve into her roles - often an extension of her own convictions. This resonance has made her Film career curiously political as her performances have become vehicles for change as well as entertainment. Living with purpose and picking roles for their ripple effect with just as much intention, it's no wonder she's become such a force and influence in Hollywood.

Twenty years ago, Monster was the performance that changed Theron's film career, a landmark role that underscored some of the hypocrisies of the star system and its long enduring legacy. A place of double meanings and standards, it's not all that strange for Theron to only get acknowledged for her true talents without her Helen of Troy visage getting in the way. While you could argue that this prosthetic "mask" made it easier for her to be Aileen Wuornos, the nuances of her performance became more noticeable, undeterred by our culture's insatiable magpie appetite for beauty and symmetry. Before Hirokazu Kore-eda's Monster drama from Japan vies for quintessential name rights, it's worth taking a look at the after-effects of Theron's pivotal role.

Once you win an Oscar, the ultimate recognition for an actor, there's not all that much more to accomplish in that silo. This mirage is what keeps many high profile actors in a never-ending pursuit of the statuette. It could be the reason the Academy kept the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese hungry, hoping to unearth a miracle before the just-give-them-a-damn-Oscar-already pressure got to them. Unfortunately, for some... it's also cause for reckless abandon, tending towards pay days and using the Oscar winner flag to tentpole forthcoming attractions.

Thankfully for Charlize, this was not the case. A consummate professional, she wasn't content to rest on her former glories, chalking the Oscar up in the win column. Instead of seeing this lofty red carpet moment as the height of her film career, she saw this trophy as license to go after bigger and better roles. Since 2003, Theron has been more concerned with the long game... leaving a reputable body of work in her wake. Admittedly, there have been a few hiccups along the way, but even in playing Cipher in The Fast and the Furious 8, she commands dignity, refusing to phone it in and probably retaining a great deal of sway in signing on to such a juggernaut of a franchise.

She's amassed many excellent and unforgettable performances over the years, typically taking on a producer role in the process. Among her finest outings are Tully, Bombshell, North Country, Mad Max: Fury Road and Snow White and The Huntsman. This is testament to her versatility, able to span multi-genre films without flinching and delivering performances that would have got more recognition if it weren't for the genre stigma. Once a purist who actively avoided the concept of a sequel, Theron's changed tack in recent years with sequels lined up for Atomic Blonde and The Old Guard.

It took Theron twenty films before she landed her coveted Oscar and while she's come close to adding another award to her collection with Oscar nominations for North Country and Bombshell, it seems more than unfortunate that her talents haven't been acknowledged more. Snubbed for transformative performances in Tully and Mad Max: Fury Road, even her complete reinvention as Megyn Kelly in Bombshell wasn't enough. Curiously, Theron's leaning into more action-intensive physical roles - possibly to prove she's still got it. Arguably, the Queen of Film, it will be interesting to see how she fights systemic prejudice or reinvents her acting career going into her 50s. As a producer, it seems as though Theron will happily continue to back and/or star in projects that appeal to her for many years to come.