Patty Jenkins has said that she knew Charlize Theron was perfect for the role of Aileen Wuornos when she awoke to a scene of The Devil's Advocate (1997) on television. Jenkins, at the time, was writing this film. She said that an actress that would allow a close-up of her nose running, as Theron did, would be open enough to pull off the challenging role of Wuornos.