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Thandie Newton Profile |
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Birth Date: November 6, 1972
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Birth Place: London, England, UK
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Birth Name: Thandiwe Newton
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Height: 5'2"
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Biography |
Thandie Newton was born November 6,
1972, in Zambia, Africa. Her exotic and original beauty can
be attributed to her mixed heritage: her father Nick Newton,
a British artist and former lab technician married Nyasha, a
Zimbabwean nurse.
Because of political instability in her native Zambia,
Thandie's family relocated to Nick's hometown of Penzance,
England, when Thandie was 5 years old. Growing up in England
along with her younger brother James, Thandie was originally
passionate about dance.
While studying modern dance at the London Art Educational
School, a back injury led her to acting when she was forced
to miss classes and was encouraged to audition for a film
that was on the lookout for fresh talent at her school.
The movie that was holding auditions was entitled Flirting,
by Australian director John Duigan. Thandie landed the role
of an Ugandan teen who falls in love with the white lead,
Danny Embling. Released in 1991, the film marks Thandie's
feature film debut and a switch in career goals --
especially considering the Australian film awards she
earned. While playing "Thandiwe" (Duigan chose the name in
honor of the actress), Thandie befriended her pal and
co-star, Australian actress Nicole Kidman.
Incidentally, Flirting wasn't only the name of the movie,
but it was also what was going on between Thandie and
director Duigan, as the two were allegedly romantically
involved. Duigan continued to play an important role
throughout Thandie's film career, having directed her in
1995's The Journey of August King, co-starring Jason Patric,
and 1996's The Leading Man, opposite Jon Bon Jovi.
After Flirting, Thandie was cast in the 1994 bloodfest,
Interview With The Vampire, starring Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt
and Kirsten Dunst. After a role in 1995's Jefferson in
Paris, which featured her as Thomas Jefferson's slave
mistress, Thandie tried to diversify her acting portfolio
(all the while studying at Cambridge university for her
Anthropology degree) with her role in 1997's Gridlock'd
(co-starring Tim Roth and the late Tupac Shakur), showcasing
the actress as a heroine-addicted jazz singer.
Thandie received critical praise for the latter, and her
skills were further underscored by her work in Bernardo
Bertolucci's Beseiged, in 1998. That same year, Thandie
starred as the title character in Jonathan Demme's
adaptation of the Toni Morrison novel, Beloved. Although
"Thandie" literally translates into "beloved," and Thandie
herself gave a solid performance, the film bombed at the
box-office.
Thandie was chosen to join Vanity Fair's April 1999 cover of
the "Up and Comers," although she had not been in a
high-profile role. That would all change in the summer of
2000, when she worked with her former Interview co-star, Tom
Cruise, in John Woo's Mission: Impossible 2.
As jewel thief Nyah Hall, Thandie practically stole the show
from her co-star and the thrilling special effects, and
audiences wondered who the "new actress" sharing steamy
scenes with Tom Cruise was.
Not only is she far from a new actress, but the steamy
chemistry between her and Cruise was surely acting; she is
happily married to screenwriter Oliver Parker, who she met
when starred in his made-for-TV movie, In Your Dreams.
Thandie was set to join heavenly actresses Drew Barrymore
and Cameron Diaz in the film Charlie's Angels (a part which
Lucy Lui ultimately landed), but had to pass due to
scheduling conflicts. There will be another Charlie in her
life though, as she is set to co-star with Mark Wahlberg in
the film The Truth About Charlie.
Thandie and her husband recently welcomed a new addition to
their family in September 2000, their daughter Ripley. |
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Other
Information |
She has a Zimbabwean mother and a British father.
First name pronounced "Tan-dee".
Her full name, Thandiwe, means "beloved."
Daughter, Ripley, born in London. [17 September 2000]
Voted by the readers of Black Men Magazine as one of "The 10
Sexiest Women of the Year." [2000]
A delayed shoot for Mission: Impossible II (2000) caused
Thandie to turn down one of the lead roles in Charlie's
Angels (2000). Lucy Liu was cast instead.
One of her fondest memories is watching her mother get
dressed in her traditional African garb because it taught
her black pride.
Raised in Penzance, Cornwall, England.
Ranked #48 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the
World" (2002)
Born on the same day as actress/model Rebecca Romijn.
Daughter Nico born mid December, 2004
2:1 in anthropology from Cambridge.
The name of her daughter, Ripley, came from the character in
the Sigorney Weaver film Alien (1979). |
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