Thandiwe Newton

Newton in 2011, Featureflash / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Melanie Thandiwe Newton

Place of Birth: Westminster, London, England

Date of Birth: 6 November, 1972

Ethnicity:
*father – English-Cornish
*mother – Shona Zimbabwean

Thandiwe Newton, also credited as Thandie Newton, is a British actress. She is known for her roles in the films Mission: Impossible 2, Crash, and The Pursuit of Happyness, among many others.

Thandiwe was born and raised in Westminster, London, England. Her father, Nick Newton, is British, and is caucasian. Her mother, Nyasha, is Zimbabwean. Thandiwe has said that her mother is a Shona princess. The name Thandiwe means “beloved” in Ndebele, Zulu, Xhosa, or Swati, and Thandie is pronounced /ˈtændi/ in English.

Thandiwe is married to writer and director Ol Parker, with whom she has three children, including actress Nico Parker.

Newton with husband Ol and daughter Nico in 2019, pic by Prphotos

Thandiwe’s maternal grandfather’s surname was Jombe.