. Last year , women made up just 16 percent of all directors , producers , writers and cinematographers who worked on the 250 top grossing films in the U.S. But , says Theron , there is no point in complaining about the tough time women have getting work behind the scenes in the movies . Do you think breaking through through the glass ceiling is still an issue for women in Hollywood ?? `` I try not to kind of bitch and complain about what -LSB- women -RSB- do n't have , '' Theron told CNN . `` It 's a tricky thing because , I think , if you want to find that lynchpin , you can , in anything . `` I look at the work that I 've done and I feel incredibly proud that I 've had the chance and the opportunity to work on the material that I have . '' Originally born in South Africa , Theron is best-known for her harrowing depiction of prostitute turned serial killer Aileen Wuornos in `` Monster . '' `` Monster '' was also the first film Theron produced , taking a huge risk on a low-budget
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- When it comes to bagging the best jobs behind the camera , Hollywood A-lister Charlize Theron says that women have to make their own luck . Charlize Theron in `` The Burning Plain , '' which she both stars in and executive produces . Indeed , the 33 year-old 's career could be seen as a template for what women can achieve in the industry . As an actress , Theron is famous for roles in films as diverse as serial killer biopic `` Monster '' and Will Smith superhero movie `` Hancock , '' switching with apparent ease between small independent movies and big-budget blockbusters . Theron also represents a small minority of women who work behind the camera in Hollywood . During the 15 years she has worked in the U.S. film industry she has also produced four films . The latest is Guillermo Arriaga 's `` The Burning Plain , '' which she both stars in and executive produces . At a time when women are picking up increasingly varied roles in front of the camera , statistics show they are failing to make the same headway behind the scenes