The Academy Awards may be the highest form of accolade in Tinseltown. But to get one’s name etched on the tiny golden statuette takes a lot, sometimes even a performance that Oscar overlooks. Every year, when Hollywood straps in for the Oscars, tabloids run into the Academy’s archives while fans lament the what-could-have-been Academy moments. However, this time, the source of frustration was not a relentless Reddit thread or critics who would not back down, but Charlize Theron, who could not help but rave about Uma Thurman’s performance in a Quentin Tarantino flick.

While showbiz has always been a thin ice, what made Theron go all out for Thurman this time?

In a recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live amid the press tour for Netflix’s The Old Guard 2, Charlize Theron extolled Uma Thurman, whom she faces against in the action sequel. Speaking of her action muse, referring to Quentin Tarantino’s K--- Bill: Volume 1 and K--- Bill: Volume 2, Thurman, Theron said, “When I came into the action world, she was really, to me, like the sensei.” Upon being asked whether Thurman deserved an Oscar, Theron did not flinch, saying, “A hundred percent.”

The Hancock star continued that men in showbiz earn a lot of praise for these kinds of movies. But what Thurman accomplished in the K--- Bill movies was completely a class apart. The K--- Bill movies were released in 2003 and 2004 and are currently streaming on Netflix, while Theron’s action career pivoted with the 2005 flick Æon Flux. Although landing a movie opposite Thurman was Theron’s action dream come true, she had her fair share of concerns moving forward with the Netflix flick.

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In fact, the roadblock was less of a concern, and more of a fear, going against the action queen, Uma Thurman.

During her recent appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live between the press tours of Netflix’s The Old Guard 2, the host and Charlize Theron were busy fanboying and fangirling for Uma Thurman. Yet, there came a point when Theron admitted that she was “scared” to go up against the Pulp Fiction actress in the Netflix sequel. Theron acknowledged that Thurman had been such an action icon. From the day Theron jumped into action movies, working with the Prime actress has been a dream.

“It’s always been Uma Thurman. Always,” Theron doubled down. Thus, the apprehension makes all the more sense because clearly she remains star-struck. For those unaware, The Old Guard 2 is scheduled for a Netflix release on July 2, 2025. Serving as a sequel to the first film, the Netflix flick stars Theron, Thurman, KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Matthias Schoenaerts, Vân Veronica Ngô, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Henry Golding.

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What do you think of Charlize Theron's praise for Uma Thurman's Oscar-deserving performance? Let us know in the comments below!