Melanie Thandiwe Newton was born on 6 November 1972, in London, England, to mother Nyasha, a health-care worker of Zimbabwean descent, and father Nick Newton, a lab technician of English descent. She is an actress, probably best known for her roles in the films “Mission: Impossible II”, “The Pursuit of Happiness” and “Crash”.
So just how wealthy is Thandie Newton, as of late 2017? According to sources, Newton has acquired a net worth of over $25 million, her wealth being accumulated during her acting career now spanning over 25 years.
Thandie Newton Net Worth $25 Million
Newton was raised as an atheist in London and Penzance, Cornwall. She studied dance at London’s Tring Park School of Performing Arts, and after matriculating from a private school in North London, she enrolled in Downing College, Cambridge, graduating with a BA degree in social anthropology.
Newton’s relationship with the director John Duigan during her high-school days led to her being cast in his 1991 film “Flirting”. In 1993 she appeared as Rachel Stevens in the film “The Young Americans”, and the following year was cast in a minor role in the Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise film “Interview with a Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles” as maid Yvette. The year 1995 saw her in the films “Jefferson in Paris” and “The Journey of August King”; several other film roles followed, and Newton soon established herself as a recognized figure in the film industry. Her net worth started to rise.
In 1998 she appeared in the film “Besieged” which brought her a nomination for Black Reel Award for Best Actress. The same year she appeared in the Oprah Winfrey film “Beloved”, in the title role as a mentally handicapped woman, which earned her a nomination for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, and for Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture. In 2000 Newton was seen as Nyah Nordoff-Hall in the popular film “Mission: Impossible II”, earning four nominations and significantly improving her wealth. Opportunities continued to come her way, and Newton landed roles in the television series “ER”, and the films “The Truth About Charlie”, “Shade” and “The Chronicles of Riddick”.
In 2004 she was cast as Christine Thayer in the hit film “Crash”; the role brought her a number of nominations, and a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress. Two years later she starred as Linda Gardner in the film “The Pursuit of Happiness” along with Will Smith – her net worth was boosted. She went on to take other roles in rapiod succession, such as in the Eddie Murphy film “Norbit”, “Run, Fatboy, Run”, “W”, “2012”, “For Colored Girls”, “Retreat” and “Good Deeds”. She also starred in the television series “Rogue” and “The Slap”. Newton is currently filming the series “Westworld” as well as the film “American Express”, so is obviously in constant demand, which does her net worth no harm at all.
When it comes to her personal life, Newton has been married to English writer, director and producer Ol Parker since 1998. The couple has three children and the family resides in Malibu, Los Angeles.
Newton is vegan, being named UK’s Sexiest Vegan of 2014 by PETA. Being partly raised in Cornwall, the actress contributed a foreword to a book of Cornwall children’s writing “We Wish: Hopes and Dreams of Cornwall’s Children”, with its sales proceeds being forwarded to The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children charity. Newton is active in non-profit work across the African continent too. In 2012 she led the One Billion Rising campaign in London, a movement to abolish sexual violence against women.
London's Tring Park School of Performing Arts, Downing College, Cambridge
Nationality
British
Spouse
Ol Parker (m. 1998)
Children
Ripley Parker, Booker Jombe Parker, Nico Parker
Parents
Nyasha Newton, Nick Newton
Siblings
Jamie Newton
Nicknames
Thandiwe Adjewa Newton , Thandiwe Nashita Newton , Thandiwe Nashita "Thandie" Newton , Thandie , Thandiwe Ajdewa Newton , Thandiwe , Thandiwe Melanie Newton
BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress (2004), Black Reel Award for Best Ensemble (2010)
Nominations
Black Reel Award for Best Actress, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture, Empire Award for Best British Actress (2000), Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress, Blockbuster Entertainment Award, BET Award for Best Actress
Movies
"Mission: Impossible II" (2000), "The Pursuit of Happiness" (2006), "Crash" (2004), "The Young Americans", "The Truth About Charlie", "ER", "Shade", "Beloved", "The Chronicles of Riddick", "Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles"
TV Shows
"Embracing otherness, embracing myself"
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Quote
1
When I am out and about I feel watched. It's become second nature. The only time I get to be private is in my work. That is when I liberate the ego. The blessed-out sensation of liberating the ego.
2
Ten years ago, I probably would have bemoaned the fact that I started out [in the film business] so young - but now I'm grateful - truly grateful. [September 2008]
3
God, yeah, I'm good at playing the emotionally strangled person. The woman who is in the worst place in her life. That's me!
4
I don't put the pressure on myself to be a very successful movie star. I want to enjoy being an actor and I want to be challenged by the roles I take. What is lovely is that I'll get sent a small movie, and you know that by virtue of me being involved they get their money and that's fantastic.
5
Having children is life-changing, to state the obvious. It's a gigantic shift in your life and I welcomed it. Not to put too fine a point on it, there's something about the shame that goes with sexual exploitation, deviance, whatever. As a woman, having a baby psychologically erases it all from your body. And that, for me, was incredibly important.
6
I use the film industry as a pleasure for work and that kind of thing and it's not a pursuit to make me feel happy in my life.
7
It was hysterical. We wanted to make it naughty and fun. When the camera stopped rolling, it was hard to stop laughing. - about her love scene with Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible II (2000).
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Fact
1
Returned to work 5 months after giving birth to her son Booker to begin filming Westworld (2016).
2
According to Thandie, her mother is a Princess of the Shona Tribe.
3
Was 6 months pregnant with her son Booker when she completed filming the 2nd season of Rogue (2013).
4
Gave birth to her 3rd child at age 41, a son Booker Jombe Parker on March 3, 2014. Child's father is her husband, Ol Parker.
5
Returned to work 8 months after giving birth to her daughter Nico to begin filming The Pursuit of Happyness (2006).
6
Was 2 months pregnant with her daughter Nico when she completed filming Crash (2004).
7
Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 32, a daughter Nico Parker in mid December 2004. Child's father is her husband, Ol Parker.
8
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 27, a daughter Ripley Parker on 17 September 2000. Child's father is her husband, Ol Parker.
In July 2011, in a speech at the TEDGlobal 2011 Conference, Newton disclosed that earlier in her career, she struggled with the eating disorder bulimia.
11
Delivered both of her daughters naturally via a birthing pool.
12
Her full first name is pronounced tan-DEE-way.
13
Her younger daughter was named for German-born singer Nico, member of the legendary rock group The Velvet Underground.
14
She named her daughter Ripley after the character played by Sigourney Weaver in Alien (1979).
15
Graduated with a 2:1 (otherwise known as "an undergraduate degree with 2nd Class Honours, Upper Division")in Anthropology from Cambridge University.
16
Ranked #48 in Stuff magazine's "102 Sexiest Women in the World" (2002)
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Raised in Penzance, Cornwall, England.
18
One of her fondest memories is watching her mother get dressed in her traditional African garb because it taught her black pride.