The late 1990s and 2000s were probably the years that helped Charlize Theron put together her career. The 2010s saw the South African-American actress and producer further grow into the well-known industry name that she is today, having starred in movies like Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), and in dramas like Bombshell (2019).
Charlize Theron
Theron, however, apparently feels that her influence in an industry powered by digital support has waned. The 47-year-old star feels that someone with more social media following, like Kim Kardashian, has a greater pull or influence in the industry, unlike herself or someone like Meryl Streep. Whoopi Goldberg, however, disagrees with Theron.

Charlize Theron claimed that Kim Kardashian has more influence in the industry than her

Charlize Theron feels that in a world of reality television, she no longer has the kind of pull she might have had some time back. She asserted that she was where she was in life and in her career, somewhere ‘mediocre’, and that she was never at a Kim Kardashian level.

“Working more isn’t, I think, going to change my level of fame. It just has always been a mediocre ride. I’ve never been one of those people that’s at a Kim Kardashian level. But I feel like it’s just always been this thing.” said Theron.

Kim Kardashian
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Theron further added to this view in a later interaction with The Hollywood Reporter for a cover story. She said that Kardashian has far more influence than herself, or perhaps Meryl Streep, one of the more talented actresses going around. According to her, this is primarily because we’re in an age of reality television and Kardashian is a star in that niche.

“The market is really different today, and the fame that worked 20 years ago, the fame that was cash in the bank, is different now. We are living in a time of reality television, and God knows I love me some reality TV… so, the marketplace of what Kim Kardashian represents – and not in a negative way because I watch everything that she does – has way more value than what Meryl Streep, one of the greatest actresses working, does. And that’s just the truth. They have very different skills, but if you were Kim Kardashian, you’d probably get way more off the ground.” she said.

Theron said that she did not mean to imply anything negative by saying Kim Kardashian had more pull in the industry than her, because, according to her, that is just the way things are.

Whoopi Goldberg cannot help but disagree with Charlize Theron

Comedian, actress, and entertainer Whoopi Goldberg is one of the few people in Hollywood who can claim to have won the EGOT: an Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, an Oscar, and a Tony Award. She has been in the industry for several decades and has been a part of several successful franchises like Toy Story and Star Trek, along with hosting several influential talk shows and starring in period dramas and the like.
Whoopi Goldberg
Goldberg feels like Theron is not correct in her judgment that Kim Kardashian has more influence in the industry than Theron does. Goldberg said that online popularity doesn’t necessary translate into industry influence, and doesn’t necessarily agree with Theron’s comments.

“I don’t think that’s true. Kim Kardashian can’t get a movie greenlit, or it would’ve happened. She can’t do that. She can get television shows made, maybe, but that’s about it. She can maybe be instrumental in helping things happen, but I’ll tell you Charlize, you’ve got more pull in the industry than I’ve got in the industry… you (Theron) get stuff done faster than I can. ‘Till’ (movie, 2022) took me 11 years. So, there are things there are people who can make things happen, but I don’t know all that many people other than a lot of men who can get stuff greenlit like that.”

Goldberg’s comments make it clear that she feels like a Theron will command more industry weight than a Kardashian. Of course, all of them are influential and successful stars in their own right, and their massive following of fans is what matters, at the end of the day.