![Taylor Lautner on Why He Never Corrected Anyone on How to Say His Last Name](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Taylor-Lautner-on-Why-He-Never-Corrected-Anyone-on-How-to-Say-His-Last-Name1.jpg?crop=85px%2C25px%2C1259px%2C712px&resize=600%2C338&quality=86&strip=all)
Thandiwe Newton
Though she was born in London, Thandiwe Newton spent the first three years of her life living in Zambia before her parents, English lab tech Nick Newton and Zimbabwean nurse Grace Nyasha Jombe, moved the family to Cornwall.
She studied modern dance until a back injury stopped her career. She started auditioning for movies, landing her first role at 16. She was cast in Flirting (1991) alongside Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts. She went to Cambridge University and made films between semesters, even shooting Interview With a Vampire (1994) opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt while finishing her anthropology degree.
Newton’s career has included blockbuster action movies such as Mission: Impossible 2 (2000), The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). She has also starred in acclaimed dramas, such as Crash (2004), which earned her a BAFTA for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, as well as The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and For Colored Girls (2010).
The actress has made her mark on TV as well. She recurred as Makemba “Kem” Likasu on NBC’s ER from 2003 to 2009, and she won an Emmy for her role as Maeve Millay on HBO’s Westworld, which started in 2016.
After a misspelling in her first film credit led to her being known as Thandie Newton, the actress announced in April 2021 that she was reclaiming her given name, Thandiwe (pronounced “tan-DEE-way”).
Newton married Ol Parker in 1998. The pair welcomed daughters Ripley and Nico in December 2000 and December 2004, respectively. Son Booker was born in 2014.
Parker and Newton sparked split speculation after she was spotted kissing rapper Lonr in April 2022.
You might also be interested in:
Articles about Thandiwe Newton
![Taylor Lautner on Why He Never Corrected Anyone on How to Say His Last Name](/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Taylor-Lautner-on-Why-He-Never-Corrected-Anyone-on-How-to-Say-His-Last-Name1.jpg?crop=85px%2C25px%2C1259px%2C712px&resize=600%2C338&quality=86&strip=all)
![Lucy Hale and More Stars Who Have Battled Eating Disorders](/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Lucy-Hale-Eating-Disorder-001.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=86&strip=all)
Lucy Hale and More Stars Who Have Battled Eating Disorders
![brad pitt dating history](/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/brad-pitt-dating-history.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C1430px%2C809px&resize=600%2C338&quality=86&strip=all)
A Complete Timeline of Brad Pitt's Star-Studded Dating History
![James Marsden Returns! Everything to Know About 'Westworld' Season 4](/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/hbos-westworld-season-4-everything-to-know-about-the-shows-return-promo.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=86&strip=all)
James Marsden Returns! Everything to Know About 'Westworld' Season 4
![Thandiwe Newton Ol Parker Relationship Timeline](/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Thandiwe-Newton-Ol-Parker-Relationship-Timeline-0006.jpg?crop=0px%2C9px%2C1786px%2C1010px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Thandiwe Newton and Ol Parker's Relationship Timeline
![Thandiwe Newton Kisses Lonr Amid Ol Parker Split Rumors Magic Mike Exit](/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Thandiwe-Newton-Kisses-Lonr-Amid-Ol-Parker-Split-Rumors-Magic-Mike-Exit-Feature.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Thandiwe Newton Kisses Lonr Amid Ol Parker Split Rumors, ‘Magic Mike’ Exit
![Thandiwe Newton Calls Her Star Wars Character Death Big Mistake Yellow Dress](/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Thandiwe-Newton-Calls-Her-Star-Wars-Character-Death-Big-Mistake-Feature.jpg?crop=0px%2C12px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Thandiwe Newton Calls Her 'Star Wars' Character's Death a ‘Big Mistake’
![Thandiwe Newton Reclaims Spelling of Her Name, Opens Up About Abuse at 16](/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Thandie-Newton-Reclaims-Spelling-of-Her-Name-Opens-Up-About-Abuse-At-Age-16-Promo.jpg?crop=0px%2C28px%2C1759px%2C994px&resize=600%2C338&quality=47&strip=all)
Thandiwe Newton Reclaims Spelling of Her Name, Correct Pronunciation
![Thandie Newton Has Nothing to Lose After Calling Out Tom Cruise](/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Thandie-Newton-Has-Nothing-to-Lose-After-Calling-Out-Tom-Cruise.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=86&strip=all)
Thandie Newton Has 'Nothing to Lose' After Calling Out Tom Cruise
![Leah Remini Says Thandie Newton Was Brave for Coming Forward About Her Nightmare Experience With Tom Cruise](/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Leah-Remini-Says-Thandie-Newton-Was-Brave-for-Coming-Forward-About-Her-Nightmare-Experience-With-Tom-Cruise.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Leah Remini Reacts to Thandie Newton's Tom Cruise Claims
![Katie Holmes Follows Thandie Newton on Instagram After Her Comments About Working With Tom Cruise](/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Katie-Holmes-Follows-Thandie-Newton-on-Instagram-After-Her-Comments-About-Working-With-Tom-Cruise.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Katie Holmes Follows Thandie Newton on Instagram After Tom Cruise Comments
![Thandie Newton and Tom Cruise at Pre-BAFTA Dinner Thandie Newton Recalls Tom Cruise Giving Her a Book With the Greatest Hits of Scientology for Christmas](/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Thandie-Newton-Recalls-Tom-Cruise-Giving-Her-a-Book-With-the-Greatest-Hits-of-Scientology-for-Christmas.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C1711px%2C967px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Thandie Newton: Tom Cruise Once Gave Me a Scientology Book for Christmas
![Thandie Newton Scared of Costar Tom Cruise On Set](/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Thandie-Newton-Scared-of-Costar-Tom-Cruise-On-Set.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Thandie Newton Admits She ‘Was So Scared’ of Costar Tom Cruise
![Celebs Wearing Mirror Trend](/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Celebs-Wearing-Mirror-Trend-Feature.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Mirror-Adorned Dresses Are Lighting Up the Red Carpet
![Regina King Mandy Moore Adrima Lima Viola Davis Red Carpet Michael Kors](/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Regina-King-Mandy-Moore-Adrima-Lima-Viola-Davis-Red-Carpet.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Celebs Who Shine in Glam Michael Kors Dresses
![KiKi Layne sneakers](/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/sneakers-1.jpg?crop=0px%2C299px%2C1333px%2C753px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
KiKi Layne Can’t Stop Wearing These Chic AF Sneakers
![Danai Gurira Tracee Ellis Ross Issa Rae Lupita Nyong'o See the Stars at the NAACP Image Awards](/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/NAACP-Image-Awards-14-1.jpg?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
See All the Best Celeb Fashion From the NAACP Image Awards
![Brody Jenner](/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Brody-Jenner1.jpg?crop=157px%2C0px%2C623px%2C352px&resize=600%2C338&quality=86&strip=all)
Brody Jenner Showed Off His Deejay Skills in Atlantic City
![Thandie Newton Reveals She Was Banned From a School Photo for Wearing Cornrows](/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Thandie-Newton-21.jpg?crop=0px%2C107px%2C1334px%2C754px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
The Shocking Reason Why Thandie Newton Was Banned From a School Photo
![Louis Vuitton's Latest Campaign Features Every Celeb Ever](/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/05-SOPHIE-TURNER.jpg?crop=0px%2C152px%2C2000px%2C1131px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)
Louis Vuitton’s Latest Lookbook Features 17 — Yes, 17 — Huge Stars
![lady-gaga-golden-globes-2019](/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/lady-gaga-golden-globes-2019-2.jpg?crop=0px%2C63px%2C2000px%2C1130px&resize=600%2C338&quality=40&strip=all)