Charlize Theron Names Richard Dean Anderson as Her Celebrity Crush
Charlize Theron revealed her celebrity crush in a recent interview, naming MacGyver star Richard Dean Anderson as the actor she admires. The disclosure came during a promotional appearance with her Apex co-star Taron Egerton, where the two exchanged personal questions as part of a Netflix publicity campaign for Theron’s latest film.
When Egerton asked Theron to share her celebrity crush after revealing his own as Rachel Weisz, she responded with Anderson’s name. Theron then remarked, “This is how old I am,” acknowledging that her choice might reveal her age to younger audiences. When Egerton admitted he was unfamiliar with Anderson, Theron added, “Right, nobody [knows who Anderson is]. I’m a f**king dinosaur,” highlighting the generational gap in recognition of the 1980s television icon.
Richard Dean Anderson first gained prominence in the 1970s for his role as Jeff Webber on the soap opera General Hospital. He became a household name in the 1980s as the titular lead in the action-adventure series MacGyver, which aired on ABC from 1985 to 1992. The show followed Angus MacGyver, a resourceful secret agent known for solving complex problems using everyday items and scientific knowledge, often avoiding violence in favor of ingenuity.
Anderson later reprised his iconic role in the MacGyver reboot series that aired from 2016 to 2021, though he appeared in a limited capacity. He also achieved widespread fame for portraying General Jack O’Neill in the science fiction series Stargate SG-1, a role he took over from Kurt Russell following the 1994 feature film. Anderson continued as O’Neill in the show’s spin-offs, Stargate: Atlantis and Stargate: Universe, and in the 2008 direct-to-video film Stargate: Continuum.
Charlize Theron, born on August 7, 1975, in Benoni, South Africa, is a South African and American actress and producer. She rose to international prominence in the late 1990s with roles in films such as The Devil’s Advocate, Mighty Joe Young, and The Cider House Rules. Theron won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2004 for her portrayal of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster, becoming the first South African to earn an acting Oscar.
Throughout her career, Theron has starred in a variety of critically and commercially successful films, including Hancock, Prometheus, Mad Max: Fury Road, Atomic Blonde, and The Old Guard. She has also appeared in major franchises such as Fast & Furious, with roles in The Fate of the Furious, F9, and Fast X. In addition to acting, Theron has produced films through her company, Denver and Delilah Productions, and has been recognized for her operate in socially conscious projects like North Country and Bombshell.
Theron’s admission of a crush on Richard Dean Anderson underscores her appreciation for classic television and the enduring appeal of actors who defined eras through iconic roles. Her candid reaction to the generational disconnect in recognizing Anderson reflects a broader cultural shift in media consumption, where younger audiences may not be familiar with pre-streaming era television stars despite their lasting influence on pop culture.