Thandiwe Newton reclaims her name after it's been misspelled her entire career

Thandiwe Newton is her name. Her mother, a Zimbabwean princess, and her father, a lab technician from Cornwall, England, named her Thandiwe, meaning "beloved" in Zulu.

The 'w' first disappeared from her name in Catholic school, forming a more anglicized "Thandie." At school she was "made to feel like an in-house missionary project," writes Diana Evans in a cover story for British Vogue.

In Newton's first film, the 'w' was "carelessly missed" in her credit; she was credited the same way in subsequent roles, but no more. The Westworld star said she is now grateful "to not be complicit in the objectification of Black people as 'others'." Her Vogue photo shoot involved clothes that reflected her European and African heritage, and the magazine cover reads "Thandiwe Newton." "That's my name. It's always been my name. I'm taking back what's mine," Newton said. Read more at British Vogue.

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Taylor Watson is audience engagement editor for TheWeek.com and a former editorial assistant. She graduated from Syracuse University, with a major in magazine journalism and minors in food studies and nutrition. Taylor has previously written for Runner's World, Vice, and more.