Hollywood star Charlize Theron believes she's mellowed

The 51-year-old actress has recalled being frenetic during her younger years, but Charlize believes she's become more relaxed and philosophical as her film career has evolved.

Asked what words of wisdom she'd bestow on her younger self, Charlize told E! News: "Oh, just enjoy it. Chill. It's OK. It's not the end of the world. Just take a breather.

"I was going at 100 miles an hour. I think as a young person, you do. You're just trying to get it all. Just chill, enjoy it."

Charlize's non-profit organisation, the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, provides resources surrounding sexual and reproductive health and rights, as well as gender-based violence prevention.

The actress feels really proud of what the organisation has already achieved.

Charlize - who has adopted kids Jackson, 14, and August, 12 - said: "I'm proud to be a small part of this.

"The thing that we're really proud of is that we have continued to have long-lasting relationships with organisations that I think have gone through the wringer of being supported for two years and then left behind.

"We've stuck with our programme partners for the last 20 years, and we've listened and not tried to dictate how they should do their job, and support them on a level where they can do what they know best."

Meanwhile, Charlize previously explained that adoption was "always [her] first choice".

The actress also stressed that she's never distinguished between "raising an adopted child versus [her] own biological child".

Charlize told ELLE magazine: "When I first filed [for adoption], my mom showed me a letter I’d written when I was little; I asked if we could go to the orphanage.

"In South Africa, orphanages were everywhere, and I wanted a brother or sister. I was always aware that there are so many children in this world who don’t have families.

"Adoption is a very personal thing — I know people whom I love dearly who don’t feel that they could raise another child as their own. I respect that.

"But for me — and I can’t be the only person out there — I never saw a difference in raising an adopted child versus my own biological child."