Thandie Newton (Nov. 6, 1972) was born in London to a Zimbabwean mother and English father. She attended Downing College, Cambridge and did very well academically. Her feature film debut was 1991's Australian film "Flirting" (which costarred Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman). She then landed a small, but important role in 1994's "Interview with a Vampire". It was the part of 'Sally Hemings' in 1995's "Jefferson in Paris" that helped her gain recognition in Hollywood. She went on to star in "Beloved" and "Mission Impossible II" and in 2000, backed out of the role of 'Alex' (which was eventually played by Lucy Lui) in "Charlie's Angels" to do a smaller, indie film. She is most known for her work in "The Pursuit of Happyness" and "Crash" (which won her a Best Supporting Actress BAFTA). Up next "Vanishing on 7th Street (with Hayden Christiensen and John Leguizamo) and "Retreat" (with Jamie Bell and Cillian Murphy).
