Thandiwe Newton, the acclaimed actress formerly known as Thandie Newton, is returning to her roots.
The 48-year-old “Westworld” star has had a long career on the big and small screens and has always been known as Thandie – but, it seems, that is not her birth name.
From now on, the star will pass through Thandiwe, she revealed in a new interview with British Vogue.
Newton started taking the “W” out of her name when she was in school, in an effort to minimize discrimination against her when she was a young black woman.
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After she entered show business, the letter was mistakenly left on her first credit. Her first IMDb-listed credit is the 1991 film “Flirting”, in which she is credited as Thandie.
Thandie Newton will now be known by her birth name, Thandiwe Newton, after the “W” was left out by mistake in her first film. (Getty Images)
The “W” was also absent from all subsequent credits.
“That is my name. It has always been my name,” she said. “I’m taking back what’s mine.”
The name means “beloved” in the Zimbabwean language of Shona. His mother is from an African nation.
The pronunciation of his name has not been clarified. Traditionally, the name is pronounced tan-DEE-way.
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The misspelling of her name was not the only difficulty she had in starring alongside Nicole Kidman in “Flirting”, however, as the film’s director, John Duigan, allegedly asked if she could leave her skin “for a while. darker “.
Newton said he spent a weekend tanning and using coconut oil.
“I got the paper. The color just turned out to be the funniest,” she said. “I’ve been very Black, not Black enough. I’m always Black. I’m like, what do you want!”
The Emmy winner started taking the “W” out of her name at school to fit in with the other kids. (Photo by Axelle / Bauer-Griffin / FilmMagic)
According to USA Today, the Emmy winner has already accused Duigan of treating her and sexually abusing her when she was 16 and he 39
Duigan could not be reached for comment.
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Since his days in “Flirting”, Newton has become a force in Hollywood, winning a BAFTA for his performance in “Crash” and an Emmy for his work in “Westworld”.
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She also starred in high-profile films such as “Mission: Impossible II”, “The Pursuit of Happiness”, “W.” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story”, making her the first black woman to have an important role in the franchise. Most recently, she lent her voice to the cartoon “Big Mouth”.