She’s revered for her varied roles in Oscar-winning Crash, and BBC crime drama Line of Duty.
And now Thandie Newton has opened up about how the apple isn’t falling very far from the tree as her daughter Nico, 13, is following in her acting footsteps after she landed a role in Tim Burton’s re imagining of Disney classic Dumbo.
Appearing on Wednesday’s This Morning, the 45-year-old actress revealed how going into the industry was a natural move for her youngest daughter with director and writer Ol Parker.
Following in her footsteps: Thandie Newton has opened up about how the apple isn’t falling very far from the tree as her daughter Nico, 13, is following in her acting footsteps after she landed a role in Tim Burton’s re imagining of Disney classic Dumbo
The Westworld star, who is currently starring in Solo: A Star Wars Story, explained that filming in Pinewood was a joyous experience as her daughter filmed in a sound stage next to her.
‘She’s one of the leads in Dumbo,’ she began. ‘She was 12-years-old when she made the film.’
‘So she was filming in Pinewood while I was filming Pinewood. So we would literally meet for lunch together both in our costumes my baby there.
Adding: ‘Quite different costumes and mine had a huge cloak over it because literally you can’t leave the set or be out in the open without a cloak on because there are drones trying to take pictures.
Career: Nico (centre right) landed the lead in Tim Burton’s Dumbo (Pictured in 2016 with sister Ripley, father Ol Parker and mother Thandie)
Discussing Nico’s natural foray into acting, Thandie added that her youngest offspring doesn’t take the industry for ‘granted’ and proudly beamed that she’s happy that the industry has changed for the better for younger women.
She shared: ‘Having a mother and father in the industry… she’s been on endless sets. It’s not that she takes it for granted, but it’s not a world that she feels she’s not entitled to be in.
‘[Plus] she has her mum right there like a lioness checking that everything is looked after. You can’t stop the industry operating the way it has unless the truth comes out.
Adding: ‘I feel this great relief, excitement for the women coming into this industry now.’
Love: Thandie married Ol, who wrote the screenplay for upcoming flick Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, in 1998
Thrilling: The Westworld star, who is currently starring in Solo: A Star Wars Story, explained that filming in Pinewood was a joyous experience as her daughter filmed in a sound stage next to her
Excited: ‘She’s one of the leads in Dumbo,’ she began. ‘She was 12-years-old when she made the film’
While very little is known about Thandie’s character in the hotly anticipated Solo: A Star Wars Story, the actress got very candid about her feelings towards the long-running series and its checkered history with diversity.
In an interview with Page Six last month, Thandie admitted she found it ‘extraordinary’ that it had taken 10 different films for the first black woman to be cast in a starring role.
The screen queen explained: ‘I felt excited that I could let go of my own personal resentment and frustration and feeling of hopelessness, frankly.’
Crediting director J.J Abrams for ‘starting the conversation’ by casting fellow Brit John Boyega in the series reboot The Force Awakens, Thandie shared her elation at the film finally shining a spotlight on diverse characters.
Proud: Discussing Nico’s natural foray into acting, Thandie added that her youngest offspring doesn’t take the industry for ‘granted’ and proudly beamed that she’s happy that the industry has changed for the better for younger women
‘It felt brand new,’ Thandie continued. ‘It had that vibe of just rebels out there and that’s kind of what I feel like, because in order to break glass ceilings, you kind of got to be a rebel. Rebels get s–t done.’
‘I’m just so grateful to [Abrams]. He’s a single individual and what he’s doing in cinema is unprecedented. I wish it wasn’t unprecedented, but it is.’
Thandie also revealed her delight at her casting to the Radio Times and shared her excitement over her character getting its own action figure.
Of her character being the first black female lead, the Crash actress told the publication: ‘I’m the first woman of colour to have a prominent role in the Star Wars legacy.’
Eyes open: She shared: ‘Having a mother and father in the industry… she’s been on endless sets. It’s not that she takes it for granted, but it’s not a world that she feels she’s not entitled to be in
Fantastic: Thandie looked sensational in a black midi skirt with a thigh-high slit and lion print in a metallic hue
‘There have been others with one line and Lupita Nyong’o was a computer-generated character [in The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi], but you didn’t get to see the colour of her skin.
‘I’m the first. I’m going to have a toy and everything. It’s exciting, but that’s all I can say. It is a big deal.’
Little has been revealed about Thandie’s character, but from the film’s trailer it’s clear that she’s part of the crew that works alongside young Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) as he takes on the criminal underworld.
The film is set to be released in the UK on May 24, and in the US on the 25th.
Moving forward: While very little is known about Thandie’s character in the hotly anticipated Solo: A Star Wars Story, the actress got very candid about her feelings towards the long-running series and its checkered history with diversity