Why Charlize Theron Was 'Conflicted' About Portraying Megyn Kelly in 'Bombshell'

charlize theron
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The actress did a lot of thinking before signing onto 'Bombshell.'

Charlize Theron was hesitant to play Megyn Kelly in her upcoming film, Bombshell. 

The actress stars alongside Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie in the movie, which tells the story of the women at Fox News who exposed the Roger Ailes sexual misconduct scandal and took down the TV titan. Theron's incredible portrayal of Kelly has had both fans and her co-stars doing a double take based off the trailer alone, but choosing to sign onto the project was a big decision for her. 

"I loved when Megyn took it to Trump. I admired her sharpness, her wit. She was fearless. But when my production company received the script for Bombshell, I was conflicted about playing her," Theron says in the new issue of W Magazine. "I personally felt uncomfortable with some of the stuff that she's said."

It was the former Fox News anchor's personality traits, however, that convinced the actress to take on the role. "Ultimately, I understood her strength and ambition," she explains. "Megyn herself says, 'I know I'm tough' -- and that's something I've heard about myself. People told Megyn she had sharp elbows, that she was hard. I've had people judge me and say the same things about me."

Kidman stars as Gretchen Carlson in the movie, while Robbie plays a composite character, associate producer Kayla Popisil. Theron says she hopes the film -- which hits theaters on Dec. 13 -- will have an effect on audiences. 

"This film is, hopefully, like taking medicine: It doesn’t answer every question and it isn’t the cure, but hopefully it does speed the process of change," she says. 

Kidman, meanwhile, recently told ET that it was Meryl Streep who convinced her to sign onto Bombshell. Watch below. 

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