Charlize Theron would never "compromise" for a man.

She said: "I've never tried to be less assertive in order to make a man feel better.

"I've always dreamed big and wanted to make the best of my life.

"I never wanted to compromise - otherwise I wouldn't be happy.

"I've always wanted a man who recognises my dreams and goals and appreciates all those aspects of my character and is confident enough in his own self not to feel threatened by that."

Charlize is an adopted mother to son Jackson, three, and daughter August, eight months, and has learned a lot from being a parent.

She said: "Nothing makes you understand and hold on to the preciousness of life more than being a parent.

"It's so vital that young people value themselves and their lives, because their decisions not only shape their own future but our collective future."

The 40-year-old beauty has learned a lot from her own mother Gerda, who fatally shot the actress' abusive father in 1991.

Charlize told Psychologies magazine: "She's the strongest woman I've ever known and she has always been my greatest guide in life and taught me never to dwell on mistakes or what has gone wrong in the past, and move on with life."