Since the start of her career, Thandiwe Newton has been known simply as Thandie, and that’s all because of one typo.
The cover star of Vogue‘s May issue reveals that from this point forward, she would like to be known as Thandiwe, the name given to her by her parents. She tells the fashion magazine, “That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine.”
According to the Westworld actress, the “w” in her name was left out on her first movie credit. Rather than correct the typo, she adopted the moniker as her stage name.
Going back to her birth name is just one of the ways Thandiwe is taking ownership of her life and her career. The 48-year-old actress tells Vogue she’s “not for hire anymore,” because she feels she wasn’t being true to herself in past roles.
“Wherever I position myself now, I don’t want to be part of the problem, I want to be part of the solution,” she explains. “I’m not going to speak your story or say your words if I don’t feel they could’ve come from me.”
