Charlize Theron is Embracing Getting Older and Says It's 'Not That Bad'

The beautiful and glamorous Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron says that getting old can have its ups and downs, but she is embracing them the best she can.

The South African-born actress, 39, is mother to 3-year-old Jackson, and she recently sat down with W magazine to talk about aging and what she's learned over the years.

"Getting older is not that bad. I think, like many women, I was judgmental toward women as they aged. Women, in our society, are compartmentalized so that we start to feel like we're cut flowers and after a while we will wilt. I realize now that's not the case-we can celebrate every age," the Oscar winner said.

She added, "That's my encouragement to 20-year-olds who are terrified of getting older: Don't have a nervous breakdown and don't hit the Chardonnay too hard. Getting older is not that bad."

The 'Mad Max: Fury Road' star - who is rumoured to be engaged to actor Sean Penn - admitted she has learnt to enjoy things more as she has aged.

When asked if she had any advice to her 20-year-old self, she replied, "I would say, 'Calm down.' I was always in a rush."

"I felt like time was going to run out. Now that I'm older, I know I'm not missing out on anything. Now, I go home, and that feels really good. When I hit 30, I realized I didn't have to please everybody. I could actually enjoy life, which is not a bad thing at all.

She told W magazine: "I do know that choosing to be a mom in my late 30s has been really great for me. It's given me perspective."