Charlize Theron was 21 when she played Tina Powers in the American comedy film That Thing You Do!, released on October 4, 1996.
That Thing You Do! is a comedy-drama film about a one-hit wonder band called The Wonders. Theron plays Tina Powers, the girlfriend of the band’s lead singer, Jimmy Mattingly.
She was the first actress to audition for her part in That Thing You Do! and the first person to be cast in the movie. Directed by Tom Hanks in his feature writing and directorial debut, the film also stars Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, and Johnathon Schaech.
Charlize Theron portrayed Tina Powers, Jimmy Mattingly’s stylish and supportive girlfriend, in the 1996 American comedy-drama film That Thing You Do! (Credit: 20th Century Fox)
Liv Tyler was born on July 1, 1977. That Thing You Do! was released on October 4, 1996. This means that Liv Tyler was 19 and Tom Hanks was 40 when the film was released.
Tom Everett Scott, portraying Guy Patterson, was 26 years old. Steve Zahn, who portrayed Lenny Haise, was 28, and Johnathon Schaech, who played Jimmy Mattingly, was 27. Ethan Embry, the bass player (T.B. Player), was the youngest at 18.
Tom Hanks wrote the script for That Thing You Do! while on the promotional tour for Forrest Gump. He was bored doing non-stop interviews and wrote a movie about a band.
Adam Schlesinger, the bassist of Fountains of Wayne, wrote the title song for the movie in response to a contest held by the studio.
Interestingly, Schlesinger didn’t anticipate his song to be selected for the movie but instead treated it as a personal exercise. Mike Viola handled the vocal performance for the song, with Schlesinger providing backup vocals.
The four actors who played The Wonders rehearsed as a band for eight weeks to get the feel of performing. However, most of their performances in the film were dubbed by other musicians.
Tom Hanks played Mr. White, the manager of The Wonders, and Liv Tyler played Faye Dolan, the love interest of Jimmy Mattingly in the 1996 American comedy film That Thing You Do! (Credit: 20th Century Fox)
The bass player, played by Ethan Embry, is never explicitly named in the film. In the credits, he is listed as “T.B. Player.” However, in 2016, Ethan Embry revealed the bass player’s name: Tobias.
Tom Hanks named his production company Play-Tone after the fictional record label in the movie.
The song “That Thing You Do” is heard eleven times in the movie, including full, alternative, live, and snippets. The film was shot in Erie, Pennsylvania, and many of the locations in the movie are real places.
Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, Steve Zahn, Johnathon Schaech, and Ethan Embry starred as Guy Patterson, Faye Dolan, Lenny Haise, Jimmy Mattingly, and T.B. Player, respectively, in the 1996 American comedy film That Thing You Do! (Credit: 20th Century Fox)
The story of The Wonders continued in the liner notes of the film’s soundtrack album. It was revealed that following the group’s appearance on the “Hollywood Television Showcase,” “That Thing You Do!” rose to #2 in “Billboard.”
Jimmy’s career with the Heardsmen was also detailed a little further, indicating that they recorded “I Need You (That Thing You Do)” and “She Knows It,” the songs heard over the movie’s end credits.
While Charlize Theron’s role in That Thing You Do! highlighted her early days in Hollywood, her journey since then has been nothing short of remarkable. Beyond her impressive acting career, she has become a global style icon known for effortlessly blending sophistication with everyday practicality.
Whether she’s gracing the red carpet or running errands, Charlize continues to captivate with her impeccable fashion sense. Let’s take a closer look at her signature style and how she makes even the simplest outings a masterclass in chic.
Charlize Theron’s Effortless Style: How to Look Chic Even When Running Errands
You can’t help but be a little envious of Charlize Theron. The statuesque beauty oozes with effortless style, whether on the red carpet, attending an event, or doing something as ordinary as running errands.
Charlize Theron keeps it casual and effortlessly chic in an off-shoulder top paired with a studded bag (Credit: LIFE / WENN / DJDM / Judy Eddy)
Take, for instance, when the Snow White and the Huntsman actress was spotted arriving at Staples Center with her mother to watch the Lakers vs. Spurs game.
Charlize Theron was born in Benoni, South Africa, in 1975. Her mother, Gerda, was a model and a flight attendant. Her father, Charles, was an alcoholic and abusive towards Charlize and her mother.
When Charlize was 15 years old, her mother shot and killed her father in self-defense. Charlize and her mother moved to Los Angeles shortly after her father’s death. Charlize began modeling at 16, and she soon became a successful actress.
Charlize is very close to her mother, and they have a strong bond. Gerta has been a constant source of support for Charlize throughout her career and is one of her closest friends.
Charlize Theron and her mother Gerta arriving at the Staples Center for the Los Angeles Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs game in Los Angeles on April 17, 2012 (Credit: LIFE / WENN / DJDM / Judy Eddy)
Charlize layered on a tee over a tank for the casual affair, paired it with dark denim, and capped off the look with black sandal booties. See? It’s so natural for her.
Of course, because this is Your Next Shoes, we’re also here to talk about those fierce-looking “Ultime” cage sandals from Christian Dior on her feet. You can check out the taupe version below.
Christian Dior ‘Ultime’ Cage Sandals, $696
The ones on Charlize are in black, so you can’t appreciate the details. But with the lighter color in a closer view, you can see how add-ons like a buckled strap and an interwoven vamp make the shoes quite intriguing and attractive.
Charlize Theron Channels Lindsay Lohan in Sexy Halter Dress
Charlize Theron’s poise and sophistication effortlessly pulled off the dress’s panel illusions, adding the perfect amount of sass to the classic little black dress (LBD) that kept everyone captivated (Credit: LIFE / WENN / DJDM / Judy Eddy)
A few days later, she donned a black Dion Lee Fall 2012 dress paired with Giuseppe Zanotti black strappy sandals.
Charlize Theron effortlessly elevated her look with a stunning Dion Lee Fall 2012 dress at CinemaCon 2012 Big Screen Achievement Awards at Caesars Palace Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on April 26, 2012 (Credit: LIFE / WENN / DJDM / Judy Eddy)
The dress features sexy illusion panels, and incidentally, Lindsay Lohan wore the same dress for an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
Charlize Theron shows off her koi fish ankle tattoo in Giuseppe Zanotti sandals (Credit: LIFE / WENN / DJDM / Judy Eddy)
Charlize Theron has two known tattoos on her foot and leg: a koi fish on her ankle and a blue floral tattoo on her right foot. The koi fish tattoo symbolizes strength, perseverance, and good luck.
Charlize Theron shows off a floral foot tattoo in Giuseppe Zanotti sandals (Credit: LIFE / WENN / DJDM / Judy Eddy)
Charlize Theron Stuns in Gold Metallic Lanvin Dress at The Burning Plain Premier
As a bonus, we want to share a hot pair of shoes Charlize was spotted wearing back in 2009.
Charlize Theron stuns in a gold metallic Lanvin dress at the premiere of the movie ‘The Burning Plain’ held at the Cinema Publicus in Paris on March 2, 2009 (Credit: LIFE / WENN / DJDM / Judy Eddy)
She paired a gold metallic Lanvin Pre-Fall 2009 dress with a leather pair of Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2009 pumps. Don’t you love her steel heels?
Charlize Theron displays her legs and feet in Christian Dior Pre-Fall 2009 pumps (Credit: LIFE / WENN / DJDM / Judy Eddy)
Which of the outfits featured do you like the most?