No stranger to the world of NASCAR, Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron will team with actress KiKi Layne on Saturday for co-grand marshal duties in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway (3:30 p.m. ET, FOX/FOX Deportes, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).
Theron and Layne, co-stars in the upcoming action-thriller “The Old Guard” (which premieres globally on Netflix July 10), will command drivers to start their engines just two years after Theron waved the green flag to open the 2018 season at the Daytona 500 as honorary starter.
While NASCAR stock car racing was new to her at the time, her love of motorsports runs deep.
“My family loved car racing, so I was raised in a house where it was always on and a lot of the South African car racing and championships were always playing on TV,” Theron told NASCAR.com in 2018.
Theron is one of the most celebrated actresses of our time, captivating audiences with her ability to embody a range of characters. Most recently, she portrayed Megyn Kelly in “Bombshell,” which her production company, Denver & Delilah, produced. She received nominations for a Golden Globe, a SAG Award and an Academy Award for her remarkable performance.
Layne made her debut on the big screen as the female lead in “If Beale Street Could Talk,” which won Best Feature at the Independent Spirit Awards in 2019. The film was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture, and a Critics’ Choice Award for Best Picture.
Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights), “The Old Guard” is a gritty, action-packed film about a covert team of noble mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die.
After being suddenly exposed, they’re forced to fight to keep their identity a secret just as an unexpected new member is discovered.
Saturday’s race at Pocono is the first of a unique doubleheader for the Cup Series, as it will race again on Sunday in the Pocono 350 (4 p.m. ET, FS1/FOX Deportes, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR).
