Theron also enjoyed the collegial atmosphere on the set. Growing up an only child on her family's farm, Theron says, her pet goat Bok "was like my best friend." As an outlet for her boundless energy, she took up ballet at age 6 and soon was dancing professionally in Johannesburg. But at 15, she says, "everything just went wrong." Her father, Charles, died, leaving the family's road-construction business in the hands of her mother, Gerda. Theron had little time to grieve; with the dismantling of apartheid and the creation of new affirmative action laws, she became convinced "there was no future for a white South African." One week after turning 16, she accepted an offer from an Italian model scout, and—with her mother's blessing—headed for Milan. Looking back, she says, "I just ran."