Call me “Thandiwe” because that’s my name.

Call me “Thandiwe” because that’s my name, actress Thandie Newton announced in British Vogue on Sunday. Thandiwe was born in Westminster, London, England, the daughter of Nyasha, a Black Zimbabwean member of a Shona tribe, and Nick Newton, an English laboratory technician and artist.

Thandiwe means “beloved” in Shona, a Bantu language spoken mainly in Zimbabwe. “[Thandiwe] that’s my name. Always been my name. I take back what’s mine,” said the 48-year-old actress.

The star of the series “Westworld” explained that her first name’s spelling had been changed in the credits of her first acting role in the film “Flirting” in 1991, she was only 16 years old.

Editorial Team

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