- On the red carpet she is always dressed in something pretty or elegant, never anything too revealing or sleazy. She always appears to carry herself with dignity and grace.
- Thandie has training as a dancer...maybe that is why she looks so graceful and feminine.
- She is smart too and has a degree in anthropology from Cambridge University!
- Thandie has recently gone natural with her hair and it looks great!
- She tends to get roles in big movies and I think it's because of her mainstream appeal. She does not fit the negative stereotypes about Black women.
- She often gets paired with White men in her roles (e.g., Tom Cruise, Gerrard Butler, Simon Pegg, Cillian Murphy, Jon Bon Jovi and others). Is it because the film makers think she's the type of woman who White men would be attracted to? She is actually married to a White man. Or is she just able to get the roles written for White women? Either way, she gets great roles that many in Hollywood would die for!
- I have never heard any negative gossip about her (e.g., fighting over a man, cheating, drugs etc.). If there are any scandals surrounding her then she is able to keep them quiet.
- Unfortunately, Thandie has admitted to having an eating disorder and appears very thin sometimes. This is never something I would advocate for anyone and I hope that she has overcome the problem.
- Thandie is married and has two children.
- She is actually the daughter of an African princess...royalty!!!
There you have it: beauty, brains, career, marriage, and children...exactly the type of EBW I want to be! I'm posting some great Thandie Newton videos below. I really studied them! Pay attention to her makeup, hair, wardrobe, mannerisms, and the way she speaks :) Now I'm going to watch her and Jon Bon Jovi in the Leading Man!
Tribute video (too skinny in these photos, play on mute)
Double Exposure photo shoot (I have to learn to cross my legs like her! Watch her mannerisms)
Short documentary
Thandie Newton: Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself (definitely smart, interesting!)
Thandie Newton Makeup tutorial (nice natural look)
http://www.thandie-newton.org/
Google images of Thandie Newton
Thandie Newton: Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself (definitely smart, interesting!)
Thandie Newton Makeup tutorial (nice natural look)
http://www.thandie-newton.org/
Google images of Thandie Newton
Your article is great, and I too first head about Thandie from the movie "Flirting". She is definitely a role model. But I also am a bit shocked that you didn't even mention that Thandie's biological father (not just her hubby) is White. Both genetics and who your parents are affect you, and I'm sure that her father's influence helped to shape who she is too, not just her mother. Plus, it's totally obvious to me that Thandie is mixed. It's great that you honor her here, but I don't see her as an EBW, rather a MBW, which is still great.
ReplyDeleteThere needs to be more obviously "brown" women in the main limelight, not just clearly mixed ones like Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Halle Berry, Vanessa Williams etc. who are clearly mixed. Kerry Washington,comes to mind, Nia Long, Regina King, Sanaa Lathan...they just don't seem to be as popular as the mixed ones, sadly.
Hello Anonymous,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your visit :) I think that Thandie Newton is a good role model (in terms of her on screen characters and how she carries herself in public) for any woman. I don't limit myself to only looking at Black women for inspiration and I think that limiting ourselves to the Black community holds us back from achieving what other groups have allowed themselves to do.
I don't engage in the dark skin/light skin issue on this blog in any depth other than when discussing make-up that looks good on brown skin. I may also refer to it because it seems to be less controversial to refer to other minority groups. I don't engage in the "she's not really Black" arguments because they are very divisive and unnecessary for this blog. I believe that a woman can be elegant no matter who her parents are so I did not feel it necessary to mention her father (I don't think having a White father guarantees someone will be well mannered and that alienates me and many women who read this blog.).
Yes it would be nice if a variety of women were in the spotlight. I will write about other celebrities when I can but in the mean time we should look to whoever appears to be elegant, graceful, poised, and well-mannered regardless of race.