Skip to content

Thandie Newton reverting to correct name spelling

Thandie Newton wants to revert to the correct spelling of her name - Thandiwe - after it was misspelled 30 years ago.

The 48-year-old actress had her name misspelt when she did her first film 30 years ago and has never changed it back, but she now wants to go back to the right spelling.

In the 1991 film 'Flirting', the actress played a character called Thandiwe and whilst the character's name was spelt correctly in the ending credits, her name was spelt wrong.

She said: "That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine."

Thandiwe also recalled the abuse she experienced as a young actress in Hollywood.

Speaking about what happened, she added: "There's a moment where the ghost of me changed, you know.

“And it was then, I was 16. He derailed me from myself utterly. I was traumatised. It was a kind of PTSD for sure.

“I was so distraught and appalled that a director had abused a young actress, and that it was happening elsewhere, minors getting abused and how f***** up it was.

“I was basically waiting for someone to come along and say, 'Well, what shall we do about this?'

“I have a seventh sense for abuse and abusers which I believe is one of the reasons why I was rejected a lot in Hollywood. I'll talk about it until the cows come home, because I know I'll be helping someone."

The “Westworld” star loves acting and she felt "whole" for the first time during her career.

She told the May issue of Vogue magazine: "I find that acting takes more and more away from me because I'm more connected to myself than I've ever been, whereas before I was delighted to get an excuse to go off to another personality.

“I couldn't wait to get away from myself, truly, I had such low self-esteem. Acting was where I felt whole."

Share this article: