Charlize Theron on Working With Women Versus Men: 'You Never Have to Wait for Women'

For her new drama, Bombshell, Charlize Theron says she cherished the opportunity to work with a mostly female cast and points to one big benefit.

“I’ll tell you the first thing that happens when you work with women that you don’t get with men—you never wait for them,” Theron, 44, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “I have never waited for a woman on a set once.”

For the film, Theron joined forces with Nicole Kidman, 52, and Margot Robbie, 29, to tell the true story of the women at Fox News who accused the network’s former CEO Roger Ailes of sexual harassment in 2016.

For more on Charlize Theron, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE on newsstands Friday.

Kidman says she too enjoys working on projects that have strong female leads.

“There’s incredible power. I did it with all of the girls on Big Little Lies. It just doesn’t come along that often—particularly a film that is about topical issues that need the support of a group of women who are going to speak about it and give their hearts to it,” says Kidman, who portrays former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson in the film.

In Bombshell, Theron plays news anchor Megyn Kelly, while Robbie plays a fictional junior staffer. The female cast also includes Connie Britton, Allison Janney and Kate McKinnon.

“We have this real need to want to work with other women,” says Theron. “Yet we get so few opportunities.”

Bombshell is now playing.