Associated Press

New York

Charlize Theron, who modelled before becoming an actress, was a model of how not to eat in preparation for the movie ‘Monster’. She gained 13.5kg to play Aileen Wuornos, the Florida prostitute-turned-serial-killer who was executed in October 2002. The performance has earned her rave reviews and a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a drama.

“My diet consisted mainly of Krispy Kreme doughnuts and anything that was swimming in cream or had cheese on top of it,” the 28-year-old told Jane for its Jan-Feb issue. “I would also eat really late at night and not exercise at all.”

Theron said she didn’t accept the part at first because she thought the physical transformation would be impossible but then had a revelation.

“I feared the career I was having was gonna continue that way for the next 10 years and I would lose my mind. It’s like I got stuck doing these formulaic movies. I was completely frustrated,” said the actress. “I thought if I lost that career, I’d be fine with it.”