On Good Deeds, Love, Humanity And Discovering The Person She Was Meant To Be.

The stunning Thandie Newton has taken on yet another awe-inspiring role in Good Deeds, a film that will certainly showcase her Oscar-worthy talent!

Thandie Newton may not be what you’d expect. She is a true artist whose gift transcends her outward beauty and mild-mannerisms. Through her roles, she is nonetheless fearless with an amazingly powerful voice and an unbelievable stage presence. But it is in speaking with her, I realized Newton in real life is one of the most incredible people I’ve ever encountered. Her spirit radiates positivity and kindness. She loves life. She loves humanity. And at the same time, she is very down-to-earth and not afraid of using a few four-letter words, here or there, in her proper British accent.

The star, whose real name translates to “beloved,” has become a highly sought-after dramatic actress with films like For Colored Girls, The Pursuit of Happyness, Mission: Impossible II, and Run, Fatboy, Run under her belt.

As she and I exchange Happy New Year pleasantries, she eloquently says, “The older you get, the more you realize that time is extraordinary.” For Newton, every year is extraordinary, and 2012 will be no exception.

The daughter of a Zimbabwean health-care worker and a British laboratory technician and artist, London born actress Thandie Newton, is a beautiful and charismatic person, who once studied at Cambridge University and is known as one of the most intelligent women in Hollywood. Brought up in London and Penzance, Cornwall, she studied dance at the Tring Park School for the Performing Arts. At the age of sixteen, after suffering a back injury, she successfully auditioned for her first film; landing a lead role in the movie Flirting (1991) where she began a now a lifelong friendship with Nicole Kidman. Another notable film early on was her role as Brad Pitt’s maid Yvette in Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994).

In her acclaimed career, Newton has also played Makemba “Kem” Likasu, the love interest, and later wife of Dr. John Carter on the hit television series ER. In 2004, she appeared in The Chronicles of Riddick. Her role in film Crash, where she played a wealthy Black woman who, along with her husband, finds herself the target of a racist policeman, earned Newton a BAFTA award for Best Supporting Actress. Her acting repertoire spans from being the love interest of Eddie Murphy in comedic film Norbit to her dramatic role as the U.S. National Security Advisor-turned Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in W. Newton is also known for her portrayal as the United States President’s First Daughter, Laura Wilson in the film 2012.

Newton chooses her films and roles carefully, “I’m really fascinated by connectedness,” she explains. She shared the silver screen with some Hollywood’s heaviest hitters: Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, Tom Cruise, Will Smith, Idris Elba, Danny Glover, and let’s not forget about the star-studded cast of For Colored Girls – Janet Jackson, Whoopi Goldberg, Phylicia Rashad, Loretta Devine, Anika Noni Rose, Kimberly Elise, and Kerry Washington.

Amongst her plethora of films, her work in the upcoming film, Good Deeds, is one of her most fascinating roles yet, a testament to her tenacity and power as a women and as an artist. Good Deeds is the romantic comedy written, directed by and starring Tyler Perry. Set to release on February 24, 2012, the film tells the story of a successful, wealthy businessman, Wesley Deeds (Tyler Perry) who has always done what was expected of him, whether it’s taking the reigns of his father’s company, tolerating his misbehaving brother (played by Brian White) or planning to marry his beautiful fiancée, Natalie (Gabrielle Union). But Wesley is jolted out of his predictable routine when he comes across Lindsey (Thandie Newton). “It is so beautiful and I’m so proud,” says Newton of the film. To her, the movie demonstrates everything she feels so strongly about, “It’s about family, making choices, being an involved adult.” She further illustrates the film as being about, “Love and letting go of things.”

Thandie’s character is a down-on-her-luck single mother who works on the cleaning crew in his office building. When character, Wesley Deeds, offers to help her get back on her feet and this chance encounter with someone so far outside his usual circle ignites something in him. This one good deed may finally spark his courage to exchange the life that’s expected of him for the life he’s always really wanted. The result is another incredible performance from Thandie Newton based on the notion of, “Love over wealth and seeking common humanity,” she says. The romantic drama also stars Rebecca Romijn, Jamie Kennedy, Eddie Cibrian, Jordenn Thompson, Beverly Johnson and Phylicia Rashad.

Newton admits the story helps us to question, “Why am I clinging on to certain things and can I allow the world to grow and still cling on.” In the film, Tyler Perry’s character explores the notion of having “a constant cycle of acquisition and desire, but then letting go,” Newton describes.

“The film is very liberating!”

Equality, humanity, healing, forgiveness and a greater awareness are all themes in this film and are, “Themes I spend a lot of time thinking about philosophically,” Newton reveals.

This is Newton’s second go around on a Tyler Perry project. For her, this film is “quality mark, Tyler Perry.” She says, “He is evolving so and I’m proud to have come to know him.” For Newton and Perry, she admits they have “created a lovely, professional friendship.”

Making the film Newton had a revelation, “We are all joining hands around the world in a sophisticated, spiritual intelligence.”

Today, Newton lives with her family in London. She has been married to English writer, director and producer, Ol Parker, since 1998 – a phenomenon according to Hollywood standards. The couple has two daughters, Ripley, 11, and Nico, 7, who Newton happily admits that she rears them to be “opinionated and strong.” She says, “Yeah, kids have to abide by their parents, but there is so much more when you put them equal, you are able to apologize and let them know when you are wrong.”

Newton is an ever-present fixture in Hollywood and she is proud that through her career she is “able to earn money and do rewarding things.” But Newton avoids getting caught up in celebrity trappings. She places the highest priority on her family, “kids teach us so much, you know,” she says. “I want to give them as much as I can. Give them all of me. How is anything better?”

At the end of the day, for Thandie Newton happiness is about family and humanity. She shares, “Today I took the kids to Winter Wonderland in the middle of London. It’s like Disney World on acid [laughs].” She further explains, “My youngest daughter wanted to go on the dodger cars, you know like bumper cars.” Newton admits being quite reticent at first. But as she stood at the end of the tracks within ten minutes she was able to let go and watch her daughter. “Not only was she able [to drive the dodger car], but she was in her element,” says Newton. “I got to watch her bash the shit out of this little boy who was after her [laughs].” It was then Newton suddenly recognized she was in “Perfect happiness. Experiencing my little girl in the moment and free.” That idea of letting go and being free directly circles back to the premise in the film Good Deeds. “It’s what it means to be a human being and that’s amazing!”

From Monarch Magazine