THANDIWE Newton covers the May 2021 issue of British Vogue, and no, that’s not a typo. The Westworld star is reclaiming the correct spelling of her name, 30 years after it was first misprinted in the credits of her debut role. Thandiwe means “beloved” in Shona, the language of the Shona people who live primarily in Zimbabwe.
“That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine,” she told the magazine. That w, per the profile, dropped in and out of her name’s spelling when she was in grade school—part of an effort to fit in among her white peers in London—and it was erased altogether at the start of her career.
Newton doesn’t name which project was her “first”—the one that kicked off the misspelling that lasted for 30 years—but according to IMDb, it was either the feature Flirting or the TV movie Pirate Prince.
You’ve reached your free article limit
Subscribe to enjoy unlimited access to trusted journalism. Cancel anytime.
Subscribe nowNeed help? molokom@insidepolitic.co.za
