Charlize Theron has revealed that she has not been without a boyfriend for 17 years.

The 36-year-old actress split from her long term love Stuart Townsend in January 2010 after nine years together.

But in the December issue of Vogue magazine, the Oscar winner admits that it has been a long time since she has been alone.

"I've never been single," the Monster star shared. "This is the first time in my life. From the time I was 19, I've been in relationships, literally gone from one to the other within a month."

The South African actress said she started filming her new movie Young Adult a few months after her breakup but says that it helped boost her career.

"I really, really missed it. Like around week three, I had this horrible, sappy moment where I got a little overwhelmed," Charlize said of working on the movie. "It was just a really great f**king experience."

"I'd gotten out of a relationship, and I was in this really floaty place. My feet weren't touching the ground. I just kind of turned to [director Jason Reitman] and was like, I feel like me again.'"

But Charlize said that she tried really hard to make her near-decade relationship with Stuart work but it was to no avail.

"It was sinking, and I had to give it a fight," she said honestly. "I really wanted to try and make it work. That was the priority. I wouldn't do it any different way."

Charlize is now embracing being a single woman and says that it has been "good" for her.

"I'm a creature who's really found her comfort zone in relationships," she admitted.