“Westworld” star Thandie Newton is reclaiming her real name.
The Emmy-winning British actor said she will now go by Thandiwe Newton in TV and movie credits.
“That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine,” she told British Vogue in an article published over the weekend.
The name “Thandiwe” means “beloved” in Zulu, according to Newton, whose mother is from Zimbabwe.
Newton, whose prominent credits include “Mission: Impossible II” and “Crash,” said the Anglifying of her name began in Catholic school, “where the W of her name drifted inward, out of sight and earshot, in a futile hope to make her feel less different,” the magazine wrote.
The “W” remained “missed out” from her first film credit (listed on IMDB as 1991’s “Flirting”), Vogue noted, and stayed that way for decades.
But Newton, who’s been outspoken in calling out racism and sex abuse, is now standing up for her real name.
“The thing I’m most grateful for in our business right now is being in the company of others who truly see me,” she told Vogue. “And to not be complicit in the objectification of Black people as ‘others’, which is what happens when you’re the only one.”
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article said that “Thandiwe” means “beloved” in the Shona language, based on Newton’s original comments to British Vogue. Newton has since clarified that she made an error, and described Thandiwe as a Zulu name.