There’s no doubt that Charlize Theron went to great lengths to tackle her unbelievably intense, viewer-gripping, rollercoaster of a role in her new Netflix film, “Apex.” Now, the Oscar-winning star is taking her promotional tactics to new heights.
Granted, you had to be in New York City to see what she’s been up to in person, and you had to look way up high to see the actress in action. Fortunately, for everyone who wasn’t able to be in the big city at the time, we have social media to give us a good look at what went down… or rather, what went up.
Charlize Could Be Seen High Above the NYC Streets
“After becoming a rock climbing expert for Apex, the action-packed thriller costarring Taron Egerton now on Netflix, Theron showed off her skills with quite the stunt: scaling a billboard in New York’s Times Square,” according to People. More specifically, she made her way up a climbing wall that was a part of the billboard.
“The film’s producer-star, 50, could be seen on Friday, April 24, ascending the vertical structure with a full set of climbing gear,” People explained. “The Times Square crowd watched from below as Theron steadily made her way to the top of the billboard and triumphantly surveyed her surroundings.”
While way up high, Theron yelled, “Apex is streaming on Netflix right now, mother[expletive]. Don’t make me climb a wall in Times Square for nothing!”
Netflix shared a statement to People, noting that Theron “spent weeks working with iconic rock climber Beth Rodden, preparing for the film’s steep, high-risk terrain.”
In December 2025, Theron talked to People about learning the physically-challenging skill for the movie, saying, “I had never climbed, except for trees when I was a kid in Africa. It’s great. It’s so much fun.”
The IRL stunt did, indeed, stir up quite a buzz as was intended. When Just Jared shared an Instagram post about what Theron had done along with photos of the star sitting at the top of the rockwall, one person left a comment, saying, “It’s just amazing 👏🔥❤️👏🔥❤️👏🔥❤️”
“Wow 🔥🔥🔥,” another social media user added.
A third follower wrote, “That’s actually very unique and cool!”
Granted, someone else popped in a message, writing, “Yeah Charlize doesnt need to do all that. Once I see she’s in a movie I’m already seated and waiting to be entertained ❤️❤️❤️”
Charlize Does More than Climb in ‘Apex’
“Apex sees Charlize Theron play Sasha, an avid rock climber who ventures into the wild for a new challenge,” according to Digital Spy. “She gets more than she bargained for, however, when a depraved hunter (played by Taron Egerton) begins to chase her down.”
In order to evade the man who is attempting to track and attack her, Theron’s character takes on everything from running through the wilderness and kayaking in white water rapids to tumbling down waterfalls and scaling cliffs.
Digital Spy noted that director Baltasar Kormákur praised Theron’s willingness and ability to perform her own stunts, saying, “You couldn’t ask for more. She’s climbing rock faces I wouldn’t go on.”
“[T]he stripped-down thriller” that Digital Spy notes “also features Eric Bana in a supporting role,” hits Netflix on Friday, April 24.
