Sunday, April 27, 2008
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Celebrities support Darfur protests
from press association website
Celebrities including Matt Damon and Thandie Newton are backing protests against the war in Darfur.
The actors are pictured destroying children's toys as a symbol of youngsters' suffering in the area.
The images are being released as part of a global day of protest on Sunday April 13, including a gathering outside the Sudanese embassy in London. Events have been planned in 30 countries to mark five years of war in Darfur.
One million children have been caught up in the unrest, according to human rights groups.
Africa director at Human Rights Watch Georgette Gagnon said: "Five years on the killings in Darfur continue because world leaders have let Sudan - and some rebels - get away with murder.
"Millions of Darfuris are struggling to survive on aid handouts under the daily threat of being raped, beaten or killed. Sudanese leaders need to know they will pay a heavy price for continuing to defy the UN Security Council."
As part of the campaign, authors JK Rowling and Judy Blume have released a letter asking the world to bring childhood back to Darfur.
Damon and Newton, along with Joely Richardson, Laura Bailey and Jemima Khan, are pictured destroying toys and drawings.
George Clooney, who is also backing the campaign, said: "Days like this matter because they keep what is happening in the eyes of the international community.
"If we all raise our voices the international community will have to listen and respond. We need sustained international engagement if we're to see real progress on the ground."
Friday, April 11, 2008
Not Just Anybody: Thandie Newton
The actress talks about diet, plastic surgery and Bikram yoga
Laura Deeley From The Times April 11, 2008
You trained in contemporary dance. Why didn't you make a career of it?
I tore some ligaments in my lower spine preparing for an end-of-year show when I was 16. I couldn't practise or audition for dance schools, such as the Rambert in London, where I really wanted to go. Instead, I auditioned for a film. Then acting took over.
How do you stay so svelte?
I used to do Bikram yoga.
So you're part of the bendy brigade. How does Bikram yoga differ from yoga?
The room is heated to a really high temperature so you sweat a huge amount. Your muscles stretch farther in the heat so you get rid of more toxins. I gave it up when I became pregnant with my second child, Nico, now 3, and I didn't start again.
Would you describe yourself as a couch potato now?
Not entirely. I love horseriding and walking, but I don't want to exercise for the sake of it. I want it to be part of my life.
Do you ever diet?
No. I eat healthily. I drink wine and have pastries, but I tend to buy organic produce. When I was pregnant with my first daughter Ripley, now 7, I was eating whatever I liked.
Tendency to yo-yo when it comes to body shape?
It comes and goes. I've had every shaped ass there is, skinny ass, scrawny ass, big ass. It doesn't change who I am.
You were a bit on the Twiggy side a few years ago. Were you ill?
I lost a lot of weight after Nico's birth. I was grieving and stress really affects my weight. I lost a lot.
Who were you grieving for?
It's not something I want to talk about. I went through a hard time but, as Buddhists say, challenge is a gift.
Every wrinkle tells a story?
Yes. I remember when I was really distressed my frown lines were deep from crying. A make-up artist who was working on me said: “You can remove these; they are just not you.” A part of me thought you're right, this isn't me. But now I see that it was. The hard times marked my face and are marks of my experience.
Ever consider a nip'n'tuck?
No. Once you start where do you stop? Plus, after having children I feel really happy with my body.
And peaceful of mind?
I'm tangle-free.
Bit of an academic?
I like learning and I did well at school. I won a scholarship to go to a performing arts boarding school in Tring, Herfordshire, when I was 11 and then I went off to Cambridge University to study anthropology.
Was boarding difficult?
Yes, for the first two years. We weren't allowed to call home until we were 13. I think that's why I articulate myself better, more sincerely, in a letter.
Do you feel the need to hide your true self in person?
It's not that, but I think we are taught to hide our true selves.
When we're children?
Yes. Children have honesty and frankness drilled out of them. Children are born free and outspoken. When they say things like, “Oh, that woman's really ugly”, we shouldn't shush them. I'd rather deal with the fall-out of a kid being brutally honest than stop them expressing themselves.
So honesty's the best policy?
I think so. Dishonesty is a route to confusion and negativity. Even if it reveals things you're ashamed off, you'll get past it if you're honest about it. I'm comfortable when I'm being honest with myself and everyone else.
You're the face of a new campaign to provide clean drinking water to Africa; what's the plan?
The basic premise is that each time you buy one litre of bottled water, Volvic provides ten litres of clean water for countries in Africa.
Not in bottles, surely?
No, of course not. The project Volvic is supporting is run by the charity World Vision. Volvic has already committed the money to install 22 water pumps in Africa.
When you're supporting a charity, do you ever worry about its motives?
It's easy to see the project as a money-spinner for Volvic, but who cares what Volvic's motivations are? The money is going to be used by World Vision to do an enormous amount of good. Buying the water shows a company that it's worth investing in charities; that's what's important.
And you can use your fame to do that?
It does give some influence. I went on a TV show the other day and after I'd made my appeal World Vision received loads of donations. It feels good to make a difference.
Thandie Newton is supporting Volvic's 1L-for-10L programme. For more details visit, volvic1for10.co.uk
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Thandie Newton, Ioan Gruffudd cast in 'W'
By Steven Zeitchik
The Bush administration is coming together -- and adding a key ally for good measure.
Oliver Stone has found the actress to play Condoleezza Rice in his upcoming "W," with Thandie Newton in final negotiations to star as the National Security Advisor-turned-Secretary of State.
Meanwhile, Ioan Gruffudd is in final talks to play former British prime minister Tony Blair.
Rice and Blair are the first non-Bush roles to be cast; Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks and Ellen Burstyn had previously been cast as George W., George Sr., Laura and Barbara Bush, respectively.
Also notable is the fact that Newton, who was born in Zambia and raised in England, is a Brit, making her the first non-American to be cast for a role in the U.S. administration. Gruffudd is also a Brit and is of course playing a Brit.
Newton has previously had roles in "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "Mission Impossible: II." She's currently in Picturehouse's "Run Fatboy Run" and stars in Guy Ritchie's upcoming mob pic "RocknRolla."
Gruffudd, known for turns in "Titanic" and several movies in the "Fantastic Four" franchise, stars in the upcoming period fantasy "The Secret of Moonacre."
Stone's "W" is expected to start shooting shortly, with QED and Stone's own Ixtlan banner producing and QED financing. Bill Block, Moritz Borman and Jon Kilik are producers.
The movie will look at Bush's formative years and path to the president as well as his life inside the White House.
As one of the few cabinet members to serve during both Bush terms, Rice's role in the Bush White House is seen as pivotal. According to those who've read the "W" script, Rice is said to be in a key first scene as well as a number of scenes connected to the Iraq war. Blair also appears in Iraq-related scenes.
Stone has said he wants to draw a fair-minded portrait of the polarizing figure. Sources familiar with the script say Bush is depicted as an easily distracted figure predisposed to personal agendas, though they say the script occasionally shows a more sympathetic side.
Among the key "W" roles yet to be cast are those of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Karl Rove.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3iac100babad132e4d1d296d591732e20a
The Bush administration is coming together -- and adding a key ally for good measure.
Oliver Stone has found the actress to play Condoleezza Rice in his upcoming "W," with Thandie Newton in final negotiations to star as the National Security Advisor-turned-Secretary of State.
Meanwhile, Ioan Gruffudd is in final talks to play former British prime minister Tony Blair.
Rice and Blair are the first non-Bush roles to be cast; Josh Brolin, James Cromwell, Elizabeth Banks and Ellen Burstyn had previously been cast as George W., George Sr., Laura and Barbara Bush, respectively.
Also notable is the fact that Newton, who was born in Zambia and raised in England, is a Brit, making her the first non-American to be cast for a role in the U.S. administration. Gruffudd is also a Brit and is of course playing a Brit.
Newton has previously had roles in "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "Mission Impossible: II." She's currently in Picturehouse's "Run Fatboy Run" and stars in Guy Ritchie's upcoming mob pic "RocknRolla."
Gruffudd, known for turns in "Titanic" and several movies in the "Fantastic Four" franchise, stars in the upcoming period fantasy "The Secret of Moonacre."
Stone's "W" is expected to start shooting shortly, with QED and Stone's own Ixtlan banner producing and QED financing. Bill Block, Moritz Borman and Jon Kilik are producers.
The movie will look at Bush's formative years and path to the president as well as his life inside the White House.
As one of the few cabinet members to serve during both Bush terms, Rice's role in the Bush White House is seen as pivotal. According to those who've read the "W" script, Rice is said to be in a key first scene as well as a number of scenes connected to the Iraq war. Blair also appears in Iraq-related scenes.
Stone has said he wants to draw a fair-minded portrait of the polarizing figure. Sources familiar with the script say Bush is depicted as an easily distracted figure predisposed to personal agendas, though they say the script occasionally shows a more sympathetic side.
Among the key "W" roles yet to be cast are those of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and Karl Rove.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3iac100babad132e4d1d296d591732e20a
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Thandie Newton Campaigns for Clean Water
Thandie Newton is supporting a new campaign that aims to provide clean water to people in Africa.
For every litre of Volvic Plain or Volvic Touch of Fruit purchased in the UK, Volvic and World Vision will provide ten litres of clean, safe drinking water through their well creation programme in six countries across Africa, helping to improve the quality of life for entire communities.
Backing this programme is leading British actress and BAFTA award winner, Thandie Newton. In February 2008 Thandie visited Mali, where she personally witnessed the difference a well can make in a community and met with people who are directly benefiting from the Volvic 1L-for-10L programme.
"My trip to Mali was a humbling experience, and one that I will never forget. Having seen first hand the vital difference, clean, safe water makes to the lives of children, women and the wider community; I hope that people in the UK will get behind the '1L-for-10L' campaign and help generate the much needed supply of water, something we take for granted everyday."
As a result of the 1L-for-10L project, wells are being dug in Ghana, Malawi, Zambia and Mali in 2008, generating over 1.7 billion litres of water in the first year alone. Not only do the wells provide access to safe, clean drinking water but they also lead to improved sanitation, a reduction of waterborne diseases, better hygiene and improved crop irrigation.
Individuals will no longer need to walk for miles to collect water and families and communities will be able to devote more time to education and income-generating activities.
In 2009 and 2010 Volvic and World Vision will build further wells in Africa, in Ethiopia and Niger, with the aim of generating more than 6 billion litres of clean drinking water over the duration of the three year programme. The wells have a lifespan of at least 20 years and World Vision provides training for the local communities so that they can manage the wells ensuring that they remain a sustainable resource. Volvic and World Vision estimate the 1L-for-10L programme will have a life-changing impact on hundreds of thousands of people.
Patrick Kalotis, Marketing Director at Volvic, comments: "At Volvic we are passionate about water and feel very strongly about the fact that millions of people around the world do not have access to the daily water they need.
“Volvic 1L-for-10L is an exciting initiative and we want to work together with World Vision to deliver a long-term sustainable development programme that will make a real difference to communities across Africa. We hope that the whole of the UK will get behind Volvic and World Vision and support 1L-for-10L."
Philip Spencer, Marketing Director at World Vision comments: "The Volvic 1L-for-10L programme in association with World Vision will help further generate awareness in the UK of the issues surrounding the lack of clean drinking water in developing countries. This programme will have a dramatic effect on the quality of life for communities across the six identified countries, as access to clean water impacts everything from health and sanitation to education and food production.
“World Vision works alongside these communities to ensure that development really does meet their needs and is also sustainable in the long-term. Both World Vision and Volvic are passionate about using water to improve the quality of people's lives and we look forward to helping achieve this with the 1L-for-10L programme."
http://www.femalefirst.co.uk/celebrity/Thandie+Newton-20340.html
Turning on the Waterworks
FASHION muse and Hollywood star Thandie Newton is lending her face - and voice - to a new initiative to provide safe, clean drinking water to Africa.
Launching this month, Volvic's 1L-for-10L campaign does exactly what the name suggests - for every litre of Volvic water purchased in the UK, the company will provide ten litres of water to Africa, in partnership with international relief and development charity World Vision.
Having visited Africa recently, Newton was only too happy to get involved with the campaign.
"My trip to Mali was a humbling experience, and one that I will never forget," she explains. "Having seen first hand the vital difference, clean, safe water makes to the lives of children, women and the wider community, I hope that people in the UK will get behind the 1L-for-10L campaign and help generate the much-needed supply of water - something we take for granted everyday." (April 2 2008, AM)
http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=51777
Saturday, March 29, 2008
You want the Thandie look?
Earlier this week Thandie Newton showed up at the premiere for her new movie, Run Fat Boy, Run, looking downright glowing. Her subtle eye makeup, rosy cheeks, and pretty smile are perfect for Spring, and since you all seem to be fans of this look, I thought I would show you some quick and easy steps you can follow to get it at home.
To see my tips for re-creating Thandie's look, read more.
Face: Thandie has beautiful skin, but that doesn't mean she hasn't had a little help looking flawless underneath those flashbulbs. You will need to choose a medium-to-full coverage foundation, and Cover Girl Queen Collection Oil Free Moisturizing Makeup ($7) in Classic Bronze would match Thandie's complexion perfectly. Brighten your complexion by dabbing a highlighting concealer like Stila Illuminating Concealer ($22) in Bronze under your eyes, brow bone, on your chin, and in the middle of your forehead, blending outward.
Eyes: Thandie's eye makeup is simple. Start by applying a light gold, shimmery shadow over the entire lid, like Urban Decay Eyeshadow ($16) in Midnight Cowgirl. Add depth and a bit of smokiness by blending a charcoal shade on the outer third of the lid, as well as right under the eye. Try Shu Uemura Pressed Eye Shadow ($20) in Ir Black. Finish by lining the upper eye and the outside corner of the inner rims with a jet-black liquid liner, like Sephora Brand Long Lasting Liner ($10) in Black.
Cheeks: The centerpiece of Thandie's look comes from her perfectly rosy cheeks. To get a flushed glow like hers, start with a cream blush in a bright coral-rose shade, like Paula Dorf Cheek Color Cream ($20) in Dollface. Smile, then with either a tapered makeup sponge or your fingers, rub the blush onto the apples of your cheeks, blending outward towards the top of your ears. To set the color and really make it pop, sweep a complementary shade of blush on top, like Jane Blushing Cheeks Powder Blush ($3.50) in Blushing Glow.
Lips: The lip shade used on Thandie just barely enhances her natural lip color. I suggest using a matte lipstick in a pinky-neutral shade, like CoverGirl TruShine Lip Color ($6) in Blushberry Shine. Finish by dabbing a bit of clear gloss in the center of your lower lip, and you'll be good to go!
source http://bellasugar.com/1506448
To see my tips for re-creating Thandie's look, read more.
Face: Thandie has beautiful skin, but that doesn't mean she hasn't had a little help looking flawless underneath those flashbulbs. You will need to choose a medium-to-full coverage foundation, and Cover Girl Queen Collection Oil Free Moisturizing Makeup ($7) in Classic Bronze would match Thandie's complexion perfectly. Brighten your complexion by dabbing a highlighting concealer like Stila Illuminating Concealer ($22) in Bronze under your eyes, brow bone, on your chin, and in the middle of your forehead, blending outward.
Eyes: Thandie's eye makeup is simple. Start by applying a light gold, shimmery shadow over the entire lid, like Urban Decay Eyeshadow ($16) in Midnight Cowgirl. Add depth and a bit of smokiness by blending a charcoal shade on the outer third of the lid, as well as right under the eye. Try Shu Uemura Pressed Eye Shadow ($20) in Ir Black. Finish by lining the upper eye and the outside corner of the inner rims with a jet-black liquid liner, like Sephora Brand Long Lasting Liner ($10) in Black.
Cheeks: The centerpiece of Thandie's look comes from her perfectly rosy cheeks. To get a flushed glow like hers, start with a cream blush in a bright coral-rose shade, like Paula Dorf Cheek Color Cream ($20) in Dollface. Smile, then with either a tapered makeup sponge or your fingers, rub the blush onto the apples of your cheeks, blending outward towards the top of your ears. To set the color and really make it pop, sweep a complementary shade of blush on top, like Jane Blushing Cheeks Powder Blush ($3.50) in Blushing Glow.
Lips: The lip shade used on Thandie just barely enhances her natural lip color. I suggest using a matte lipstick in a pinky-neutral shade, like CoverGirl TruShine Lip Color ($6) in Blushberry Shine. Finish by dabbing a bit of clear gloss in the center of your lower lip, and you'll be good to go!
source http://bellasugar.com/1506448
Thursday, March 27, 2008
USA Today
Thandie Newton: A fresh attitude with a little vintage flair
NEW YORK — Don't come between Thandie Newton and Ossie Clark.
At Fashion District's Southpaw, a mirrored, flashy, plant-filled den crammed with costly vintage gowns by sartorial icons Clark, Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Muir, Newton is having a fashion emergency.
The giddy actress holds a black, yellow, orange and green Ossie Clark frock up to her and twirls. "This is sick. This is disgusting!" she cries, meaning the exact opposite.
Newton, 35, doesn't work with a stylist, picks out all her own ensembles, loves Matthew Williamson, Jonathan Saunders and Alexander McQueen, and haunts the vintage stores at home in London. Today, she's wearing a dark-blue minidress by Bella Freud, paired with a leopard-print vintage coat and matching Prada bag.
"It is grotesque how out of control manufacturing has become, and the excess, the pollution that's caused by it. Vintage is not only glorious and stylish, it's also the way forward in terms of recycling," she says. "Whenever I go into great vintage stores, I wonder why we ever buy new things."
Among finds: some "amazing" Clark dresses "that I paw occasionally in my cupboard," and a Jean Muir dress, white with blue spots, "that I wear to death."
Newton's daughters Ripley, 7, and Nico, 3, aren't immune to their mom's vintage scores. "I got a pair of Terry de Havilland bright pink showgirl shoes, with pink encrusted glitter. Ripley was like, 'Can I have those when I'm older?' " Newton says with a laugh. "Yes, you can."
Newton is so sparkly, so confident, that it's impossible to imagine her in the same situation as Libby, the pregnant bride who gets left at the altar by her panicked fiancé (Simon Pegg) in Run Fat Boy Run, opening Friday. To win her back, he decides to compete in a marathon.
"Despite it being a comedy, the movie resonates with real, proper sentiment that, very often, our worst enemy is ourselves and how we feel about ourselves," she says. "Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The most heroic thing is to write that letter that says 'I love you.' "
In real life, Newton is happily married to British writer Ol Parker (Imagine Me & You). She also just finished her first script. "Until something's really happening, there's no point in talking about it because it's just empty promises. I wanted to do it and I enjoyed it, so whatever happens …."
She applies that same attitude toward her acting. Newton has been in 1998's Beloved, 2000's Mission: Impossible II and 2004's Crash. But, the actress says, "I'm not as fascinated by this job anymore, and I know it has to do with the material. I'm not going to chase it."
Take Crash, in which she played Terrence Howard's enraged wife, who gets groped by a racist cop. It's one of the rare parts that engrossed Newton, but, she says, "Crash was two weeks of my life. The roles that fascinate me have been teeny. Some people get to do great work and be really impressive and wonderful — Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep, Isabelle Adjani. And then, there's a lot of (junk). I'm not moaning, because that's how it is, so I've built up life to compensate."
She recently traveled to Mali with the World Vision relief organization, calling it "deeply satisfying."
Though she may find acting less gratifying, she keeps at it. A West End stage debut is in the works for later this year. And she just wrapped Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla, a gangster movie in which she plays a crooked accountant. Now, she calls Ritchie, who's married to Madonna, a friend.
"They're a great family, those guys. They're really evolved."
NEW YORK — Don't come between Thandie Newton and Ossie Clark.
At Fashion District's Southpaw, a mirrored, flashy, plant-filled den crammed with costly vintage gowns by sartorial icons Clark, Yves Saint Laurent and Jean Muir, Newton is having a fashion emergency.
The giddy actress holds a black, yellow, orange and green Ossie Clark frock up to her and twirls. "This is sick. This is disgusting!" she cries, meaning the exact opposite.
Newton, 35, doesn't work with a stylist, picks out all her own ensembles, loves Matthew Williamson, Jonathan Saunders and Alexander McQueen, and haunts the vintage stores at home in London. Today, she's wearing a dark-blue minidress by Bella Freud, paired with a leopard-print vintage coat and matching Prada bag.
"It is grotesque how out of control manufacturing has become, and the excess, the pollution that's caused by it. Vintage is not only glorious and stylish, it's also the way forward in terms of recycling," she says. "Whenever I go into great vintage stores, I wonder why we ever buy new things."
Among finds: some "amazing" Clark dresses "that I paw occasionally in my cupboard," and a Jean Muir dress, white with blue spots, "that I wear to death."
Newton's daughters Ripley, 7, and Nico, 3, aren't immune to their mom's vintage scores. "I got a pair of Terry de Havilland bright pink showgirl shoes, with pink encrusted glitter. Ripley was like, 'Can I have those when I'm older?' " Newton says with a laugh. "Yes, you can."
Newton is so sparkly, so confident, that it's impossible to imagine her in the same situation as Libby, the pregnant bride who gets left at the altar by her panicked fiancé (Simon Pegg) in Run Fat Boy Run, opening Friday. To win her back, he decides to compete in a marathon.
"Despite it being a comedy, the movie resonates with real, proper sentiment that, very often, our worst enemy is ourselves and how we feel about ourselves," she says. "Heroes come in all shapes and sizes. The most heroic thing is to write that letter that says 'I love you.' "
In real life, Newton is happily married to British writer Ol Parker (Imagine Me & You). She also just finished her first script. "Until something's really happening, there's no point in talking about it because it's just empty promises. I wanted to do it and I enjoyed it, so whatever happens …."
She applies that same attitude toward her acting. Newton has been in 1998's Beloved, 2000's Mission: Impossible II and 2004's Crash. But, the actress says, "I'm not as fascinated by this job anymore, and I know it has to do with the material. I'm not going to chase it."
Take Crash, in which she played Terrence Howard's enraged wife, who gets groped by a racist cop. It's one of the rare parts that engrossed Newton, but, she says, "Crash was two weeks of my life. The roles that fascinate me have been teeny. Some people get to do great work and be really impressive and wonderful — Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep, Isabelle Adjani. And then, there's a lot of (junk). I'm not moaning, because that's how it is, so I've built up life to compensate."
She recently traveled to Mali with the World Vision relief organization, calling it "deeply satisfying."
Though she may find acting less gratifying, she keeps at it. A West End stage debut is in the works for later this year. And she just wrapped Guy Ritchie's RocknRolla, a gangster movie in which she plays a crooked accountant. Now, she calls Ritchie, who's married to Madonna, a friend.
"They're a great family, those guys. They're really evolved."
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Thandie Newton: The Run, Fatboy, Run Interview
Born in London on November 6, 1972, Thandiwe Newton spent some of her formative years in Zambia with her Zimbabwean mother, Nyasha, and her British father, Nick. However, political unrest would prompt the family to relocate to England where Thandiwe would attend the University of Cambridge.
After a back injury curtailed her plans for a career in dance, she dropped the “w” from her name when she turned her attention to acting. In 1991, the regal beauty made her screen debut in Flirting, an Australian film featuring another then unknown, Nicole Kidman.
Thandie has since proven herself to be one of the most talented thespians around, delivering very memorable performances in such pictures as Crash, Beloved, Besieged, Jefferson in Paris, Mission: Impossible II and The Pursuit of Happyness. Recently, the versatile actress has even mastered comedy, first as the object of Eddie Murphy’s affection in the $100 million hit Norbit, and now as a pregnant woman left at the altar by Simon Pegg’s character in Run, Fatboy, Run.
As for her private life, Thandie has been married for ten years to writer/director Ol Parker. The couple lives in London where they are raising their two daughters, Ripley, 7, and Nico, 3. Here, she weighs in on everything from family life to her new movie to colorblind casting to the candidacy of Barack Obama.
KW: Hi Thandie, I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.
TN: Really? That’s so lovely.
KW: Absolutely!
TN: Nice. Is Kam short for something?
KW: Funny you should ask. Yes, Kamau, it’s an African name.
TN: Cool!
KW: I was given the name when I was a jazz musician back in the Seventies. We were getting ready to record an album and the leader of the group didn’t want any slave names on the record cover.
TN: Wow!
KW: Over the years, people sort of Anglicized it by dropping the “au” off.
TN: How amazing! “Kam” is gorgeous. I love it. My name, Thandie, is an abbreviation, too, of Thandiwe.
KW: I knew that. And that it means “beloved.” Ironically, Beloved might have been your breakout role.
TN: Yes, I think it probably was.
KW: I also thought you were terrific in your next picture, Besieged.
TN: I loved that film.
KW: Why did you decide to make your second comedy in a row with Run, Fatboy, Run?
TN: Well, I made Norbit, but I still felt that I hadn’t really been involved in a comedy in terms of having the experience of just witnessing comedians at work. Norbit just felt a little claustrophobic. It didn’t have the kind of freedom or camaraderie that I thought a comedy should have. And I was keen to work in England, as I always have been, because my children go to school there. Plus, I’ve been a fan of Simon Pegg’s for a number of years. I love the work that he’s done with Nick Frost, like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. And I just got a sense of [director] David Schwimmer as a really well-rounded, decent guy from when he did a play with a friend of mine, Saffron Burrows. I like working with first-time directors because it’s often a risk well worth taking. And I loved the material. So, it was fun!
KW: One of the things I love about this film is that it’s hard to pigeonhole.
TN: I feel the same way. It’s not a romantic comedy. It’s not a straight drama. It feels much more true to life than a formulaic comedy. But I also think that Simon has great timing and a unique kind of humor, reminiscent of Peter Sellers or Jack Lemmon. He reminds me of those old school comedians whose brands of humor were much more authentically a part of their personality, not anything generic. Simon’s is a combination of physical, creative and intelligent. His other gift is that he can move from a strongly comedic moment to one of complete earnestness which draws you in much more. Ordinarily, comedy is a detachment from feeling where you turn something into a joke instead of express how you really feel. That kind of protects you from being the one with an opinion, if you know what I mean.
KW: Right.
TN: But Simon can get right into earnest emotion very easily, so the comedy almost allows for the sentiments to go deeper. I think he’s unique in that respect. In England, it’s been a while since we’ve found someone who could cross over and be an international success in movies. And I just think Simon’s it.
KW: I think you’re obviously “it” too. I felt that your performance in Crash was pivotal, and providing that Oscar-winning Best Picture with its most riveting and social significant moment by far. That’s why I said you deserved an Oscar for it.
TN: Well, there were a large number of very strong performances that year. I don’t know, ever since Beloved was snubbed by the industry, and not taken seriously in that respect, I don’t feel impassioned with either joy or sadness by getting or not getting accolades. It’s not part of the way that I value myself.
KW: I also think that many of the challenging, iconoclastic characters that you’ve played, in films like Beloved and Besieged and Crash, aren’t the types of roles ordinarily recognized by the Oscars.
TN: The thing about all of those roles, and The Pursuit of Happyness, as well, is that they make people uncomfortable, because it goes right to the marrow of the truth. That is not a popular place to be. With Beloved, it wasn’t popular to take the lid off denial. But I like to put myself in that area of discomfort, because that’s what truly reveals the essence of what we really are, those areas that you’d rather ignore and get away from. They’re the ones that I just want to stare at as long as I can. So, I don’t mind, even though the Oscar has become the absolute benchmark for filmmaking talent. I think we can sort of promote ourselves as individuals. If we feel privileged to witness a great performance, then that in itself is enough to feel validated.
KW: I agree. Plus, the job that you do as a mother is far more important than acting.
TN: It is and it isn’t though, Kam, because the truth is that if you want to be a movie star, you’ve got to work at it. But I’ve found that in order to ensure longevity, it’s better to avoid the highs and lows of success. It’s sort of like surfing where if you stay in the middle of a wave, you’re going to stick around longer. But if you get into the dizzying heights, you’ve got to maintain, and that’s a tough thing to do. I‘ve got two kids, so I’m quite happy to stay on in the middle, burning my light a bit brighter here and there. But I love what I do.
KW: The Tao teaches that both the very heights and the very bottom are to be avoided.
TN: I think that’s true, but I’ll get the old Oscar for all of us one day.
KW: I’m sure. Given that you have a parent from Africa, and one who’s white, I’d love to hear what you think of Barack Obama’s candidacy.
TN: I think that it’s wonderful for America to have these rich choices in whom they vote for. It feels like there’s evolution happening right in front of us. And I don’t think it’s just about America but an international vote for life to have these exciting choices available. Once a pick has been made, what’s important is to commit to the changes that these people actually want to put in place. I think that how Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or anyone else is going to benefit the country is far more complex than the color of their skin or their gender. So, in a way, it’s been a distraction from what’s truly necessary which is to get in there and make real changes.
KW: I’ve read that you were born in England, and also that you were born in Africa. Which is correct?
TN: I was born in London during a brief trip back from Africa which is where we all lived at the time.
KW: How do you think growing up in Africa and England, and having both a black and a white parent has shaped you?
TN: Oh, God, that would be an hour-long answer to your question. It provided challenges which have made me who I am…It provided great wealth in terms of having this great-colored skin, and looking exotic, and different. However, it also made for a very lonely disposition as a child, at times. Being an outsider has its good and its bad. There’s a ying and yang to all of it. Having to negotiate that kind of winding road has made me much more inquisitive about psychology, and interested in investigating myself and the parameters that people set up around themselves and others. It’s a privilege, in a way, to have had to question my identity. By virtue of being unconventional, I was exploring that from a very young age. And I feel glad about that. But by the same token, if I hadn’t had the strength of character and some real pluses, like getting involved in the arts, for example, where differences can be celebrated, I could have been a very depressed, a very closeted, and a very unhappy person. But I see these challenges and negative experiences as gifts, at least I do now, anyway. [Laughs] So, I’ve been showered with gifts, and I’m glad of that. Life is about being uncomfortable and about how we deal with those areas of discomfort. I’m sorry I’m not answering your question, but it’s such a gigantic question, and one that I can’t answer briefly.
KW: No, this was an excellent answer, given our time constraints. Another thing I really liked about Run, Fatboy, Run was its colorblind casting.
TN: I love that not one journalist has questioned my son in the movie looking so light. In real life, I have one blonde child, and one dark-haired child. One of my daughters is olive-skinned, like me, and my other is very pale-skinned. Their faces are similar, but they have different coloring. 30 or 40 years ago, it would have been noted, and someone would’ve complained, saying, “She couldn’t have a kid that color.” So, I do love that the casting hasn’t been questioned in England [where it opened last September] and I’m interested in seeing how it is accepted in the United States. I wonder whether black audiences will want to see the movie.
KW: I certainly hope so, not only because it’s very funny, but to support colorblind casting and the idea that you can have you and Simon Pegg paired in a romantic comedy without skin color having to be the theme. So, I’m asking all my readers to support it.
TN: You do it, Kam!
KW: Bookworm Troy Johnson was wondering what’s the last book you read?
TN: Oh my Lord! What was the last book I read? Oh, it was a book by my friend, Justine Picardie, called Daphne. It’s about Daphne du Maurier and the Bronte family.
KW: Lastly. are you ever afraid?
TN: No.
KW: Well, thanks again for the interview, Thandie, and best of luck in the future.
TN: Thanks you so much. Take care, bye!
After a back injury curtailed her plans for a career in dance, she dropped the “w” from her name when she turned her attention to acting. In 1991, the regal beauty made her screen debut in Flirting, an Australian film featuring another then unknown, Nicole Kidman.
Thandie has since proven herself to be one of the most talented thespians around, delivering very memorable performances in such pictures as Crash, Beloved, Besieged, Jefferson in Paris, Mission: Impossible II and The Pursuit of Happyness. Recently, the versatile actress has even mastered comedy, first as the object of Eddie Murphy’s affection in the $100 million hit Norbit, and now as a pregnant woman left at the altar by Simon Pegg’s character in Run, Fatboy, Run.
As for her private life, Thandie has been married for ten years to writer/director Ol Parker. The couple lives in London where they are raising their two daughters, Ripley, 7, and Nico, 3. Here, she weighs in on everything from family life to her new movie to colorblind casting to the candidacy of Barack Obama.
KW: Hi Thandie, I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.
TN: Really? That’s so lovely.
KW: Absolutely!
TN: Nice. Is Kam short for something?
KW: Funny you should ask. Yes, Kamau, it’s an African name.
TN: Cool!
KW: I was given the name when I was a jazz musician back in the Seventies. We were getting ready to record an album and the leader of the group didn’t want any slave names on the record cover.
TN: Wow!
KW: Over the years, people sort of Anglicized it by dropping the “au” off.
TN: How amazing! “Kam” is gorgeous. I love it. My name, Thandie, is an abbreviation, too, of Thandiwe.
KW: I knew that. And that it means “beloved.” Ironically, Beloved might have been your breakout role.
TN: Yes, I think it probably was.
KW: I also thought you were terrific in your next picture, Besieged.
TN: I loved that film.
KW: Why did you decide to make your second comedy in a row with Run, Fatboy, Run?
TN: Well, I made Norbit, but I still felt that I hadn’t really been involved in a comedy in terms of having the experience of just witnessing comedians at work. Norbit just felt a little claustrophobic. It didn’t have the kind of freedom or camaraderie that I thought a comedy should have. And I was keen to work in England, as I always have been, because my children go to school there. Plus, I’ve been a fan of Simon Pegg’s for a number of years. I love the work that he’s done with Nick Frost, like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. And I just got a sense of [director] David Schwimmer as a really well-rounded, decent guy from when he did a play with a friend of mine, Saffron Burrows. I like working with first-time directors because it’s often a risk well worth taking. And I loved the material. So, it was fun!
KW: One of the things I love about this film is that it’s hard to pigeonhole.
TN: I feel the same way. It’s not a romantic comedy. It’s not a straight drama. It feels much more true to life than a formulaic comedy. But I also think that Simon has great timing and a unique kind of humor, reminiscent of Peter Sellers or Jack Lemmon. He reminds me of those old school comedians whose brands of humor were much more authentically a part of their personality, not anything generic. Simon’s is a combination of physical, creative and intelligent. His other gift is that he can move from a strongly comedic moment to one of complete earnestness which draws you in much more. Ordinarily, comedy is a detachment from feeling where you turn something into a joke instead of express how you really feel. That kind of protects you from being the one with an opinion, if you know what I mean.
KW: Right.
TN: But Simon can get right into earnest emotion very easily, so the comedy almost allows for the sentiments to go deeper. I think he’s unique in that respect. In England, it’s been a while since we’ve found someone who could cross over and be an international success in movies. And I just think Simon’s it.
KW: I think you’re obviously “it” too. I felt that your performance in Crash was pivotal, and providing that Oscar-winning Best Picture with its most riveting and social significant moment by far. That’s why I said you deserved an Oscar for it.
TN: Well, there were a large number of very strong performances that year. I don’t know, ever since Beloved was snubbed by the industry, and not taken seriously in that respect, I don’t feel impassioned with either joy or sadness by getting or not getting accolades. It’s not part of the way that I value myself.
KW: I also think that many of the challenging, iconoclastic characters that you’ve played, in films like Beloved and Besieged and Crash, aren’t the types of roles ordinarily recognized by the Oscars.
TN: The thing about all of those roles, and The Pursuit of Happyness, as well, is that they make people uncomfortable, because it goes right to the marrow of the truth. That is not a popular place to be. With Beloved, it wasn’t popular to take the lid off denial. But I like to put myself in that area of discomfort, because that’s what truly reveals the essence of what we really are, those areas that you’d rather ignore and get away from. They’re the ones that I just want to stare at as long as I can. So, I don’t mind, even though the Oscar has become the absolute benchmark for filmmaking talent. I think we can sort of promote ourselves as individuals. If we feel privileged to witness a great performance, then that in itself is enough to feel validated.
KW: I agree. Plus, the job that you do as a mother is far more important than acting.
TN: It is and it isn’t though, Kam, because the truth is that if you want to be a movie star, you’ve got to work at it. But I’ve found that in order to ensure longevity, it’s better to avoid the highs and lows of success. It’s sort of like surfing where if you stay in the middle of a wave, you’re going to stick around longer. But if you get into the dizzying heights, you’ve got to maintain, and that’s a tough thing to do. I‘ve got two kids, so I’m quite happy to stay on in the middle, burning my light a bit brighter here and there. But I love what I do.
KW: The Tao teaches that both the very heights and the very bottom are to be avoided.
TN: I think that’s true, but I’ll get the old Oscar for all of us one day.
KW: I’m sure. Given that you have a parent from Africa, and one who’s white, I’d love to hear what you think of Barack Obama’s candidacy.
TN: I think that it’s wonderful for America to have these rich choices in whom they vote for. It feels like there’s evolution happening right in front of us. And I don’t think it’s just about America but an international vote for life to have these exciting choices available. Once a pick has been made, what’s important is to commit to the changes that these people actually want to put in place. I think that how Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama or anyone else is going to benefit the country is far more complex than the color of their skin or their gender. So, in a way, it’s been a distraction from what’s truly necessary which is to get in there and make real changes.
KW: I’ve read that you were born in England, and also that you were born in Africa. Which is correct?
TN: I was born in London during a brief trip back from Africa which is where we all lived at the time.
KW: How do you think growing up in Africa and England, and having both a black and a white parent has shaped you?
TN: Oh, God, that would be an hour-long answer to your question. It provided challenges which have made me who I am…It provided great wealth in terms of having this great-colored skin, and looking exotic, and different. However, it also made for a very lonely disposition as a child, at times. Being an outsider has its good and its bad. There’s a ying and yang to all of it. Having to negotiate that kind of winding road has made me much more inquisitive about psychology, and interested in investigating myself and the parameters that people set up around themselves and others. It’s a privilege, in a way, to have had to question my identity. By virtue of being unconventional, I was exploring that from a very young age. And I feel glad about that. But by the same token, if I hadn’t had the strength of character and some real pluses, like getting involved in the arts, for example, where differences can be celebrated, I could have been a very depressed, a very closeted, and a very unhappy person. But I see these challenges and negative experiences as gifts, at least I do now, anyway. [Laughs] So, I’ve been showered with gifts, and I’m glad of that. Life is about being uncomfortable and about how we deal with those areas of discomfort. I’m sorry I’m not answering your question, but it’s such a gigantic question, and one that I can’t answer briefly.
KW: No, this was an excellent answer, given our time constraints. Another thing I really liked about Run, Fatboy, Run was its colorblind casting.
TN: I love that not one journalist has questioned my son in the movie looking so light. In real life, I have one blonde child, and one dark-haired child. One of my daughters is olive-skinned, like me, and my other is very pale-skinned. Their faces are similar, but they have different coloring. 30 or 40 years ago, it would have been noted, and someone would’ve complained, saying, “She couldn’t have a kid that color.” So, I do love that the casting hasn’t been questioned in England [where it opened last September] and I’m interested in seeing how it is accepted in the United States. I wonder whether black audiences will want to see the movie.
KW: I certainly hope so, not only because it’s very funny, but to support colorblind casting and the idea that you can have you and Simon Pegg paired in a romantic comedy without skin color having to be the theme. So, I’m asking all my readers to support it.
TN: You do it, Kam!
KW: Bookworm Troy Johnson was wondering what’s the last book you read?
TN: Oh my Lord! What was the last book I read? Oh, it was a book by my friend, Justine Picardie, called Daphne. It’s about Daphne du Maurier and the Bronte family.
KW: Lastly. are you ever afraid?
TN: No.
KW: Well, thanks again for the interview, Thandie, and best of luck in the future.
TN: Thanks you so much. Take care, bye!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Thandie Newton Considered Adoption
Actress Thandie Newton considered adoption after visiting children in poverty-stricken Mali. The Crash star has two daughters with husband Ol Parker, but contemplated adding to her family following her trip to the West African Country.
However, Newton decided against adopting, preferring to donate money to their cause instead. She says, "I had a really strong urge immediately after both my daughters to have another. But I felt it best to get to know them better first. Later I realized that urge can be satisfied by helping people."
"Rather than having more kids within my four walls, it's better for me to give out. That's not to say adopting isn't fantastic.
She also talked about her own relationship with husband, Ol Parker, to whom she has been married for nearly ten years and their family life together with their children. "The key thing is that my kids don't go to bed until 10 every night. From 7 at night until 10 - that's when it rocks out in our house! It's terrible because they're knackered." Whoah. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that "knackered" means drunk and throwing things.(it just means tired Quinn) British kids sound like a handful. No wonder British nannies are so strict
However, Newton decided against adopting, preferring to donate money to their cause instead. She says, "I had a really strong urge immediately after both my daughters to have another. But I felt it best to get to know them better first. Later I realized that urge can be satisfied by helping people."
"Rather than having more kids within my four walls, it's better for me to give out. That's not to say adopting isn't fantastic.
She also talked about her own relationship with husband, Ol Parker, to whom she has been married for nearly ten years and their family life together with their children. "The key thing is that my kids don't go to bed until 10 every night. From 7 at night until 10 - that's when it rocks out in our house! It's terrible because they're knackered." Whoah. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure that "knackered" means drunk and throwing things.(it just means tired Quinn) British kids sound like a handful. No wonder British nannies are so strict
Friday, March 21, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
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