Thandie Newton has revealed that she is reverting to the original Zimbabwean spelling of her first name, Thandiwe.
"That's my name. It's always been my name. I'm taking back what's mine," the Westworld star told British Vogue, adding that all of her future film and TV work would be credited with the name Thandiwe (pronounced "tan-DEE-way") Newton.
The full name of the Emmy- and BAFTA-winning British actress, born in London to a white British father and a Zimbabwean mother, is Melanie Thandiwe Newton. However, she said her name was misspelled in the credits to her first film, 1991's Flirting, also starring Nicole Kidman and Noah Taylor. As a result, Thandie Newton stuck with the actress for the past three decades.
In 2006, she won a BAFTA award in the best supporting actress category for her role in Crash.
Newton also told Vogue that she welcomed how much the representation of ethnic minority groups has improved in the entertainment landscape.
"The thing I'm most grateful for in our business right now is being in the company of others who truly see me. And to not be complicit in the objectification of black people as 'others,' which is what happens when you're the only one," she said.