Thandie Newton finds freedom in her work
Actress Thandie Newton turns 38 today.
She's one of many stars in Tyler Perry's new movie “For Colored Girls,” based on Ntozake Shange's Tony-nominated stage show “For Colored Girls Who've Considered Suicide When the Rainbow is Enuf.”
The film traces the stressful lives of nine African-American women dealing with (mostly insufficient) men and challenging issues such as rape, abortion, AIDS, abuse and stolen self-esteem.
I sat down to chat with the London-born Thandie (pronounced Tandy) at the Elysian Hotel in Chicago.
Q. From highly emotional roles such as Tangie in “For Colored Girls” to your action figure agent in “Mission Impossible 2,” you radiate a real joy of performing. Any idea where that comes from?
A. Ever since I was really small, I've needed to perform. It was a place where I felt free. I felt happy. Just happy and alive and uncomplicated. Dancing was my first love, which I adored. Now it's acting.
What you said about joy makes a lot of sense. It's an escape a lot of times because it's so simple. In my early 20s, I would ask myself why do I feel so peaceful when I'm acting? The only things in my head are what's going on for the character. It's like meditation. The only thoughts I'm allowing in are the ones of the character. It's very peaceful. There's a freedom. I feel free.
Q. What was your biggest challenge playing a really damaged character in “For Colored Girls”?
A. Being abusive toward people was really horrible. I tend to play people who are victims. Whereas Tangie makes other people victims, when in fact she's the biggest victim. She's alienating herself from all these wonderful people around her.
The most difficult thing was telling Phylicia Rashad that she was a this and a that. It was like, uh, arghhhhhh! And doing it convincingly without my eyes showing apology! I had to mean it. You wouldn't want to come across Tangie in a cat fight. She's a nasty piece of work.
Q. So what was the most joyous part of making “For Colored Girls”?
A. Just being with these women. Sharing experiences. They really understood what I was talking about. To be a woman, then to be an actress, then to be an actress of color is very unique. There aren't a lot of us doing that, and not many given a chance to do it well.
They totally understand my disappointments and my great triumphs in a way that most people wouldn't understand. That kinship was very special.
Q. Even though “For Colored Girls” is about African-American women, it hits on a lot of universal truths, don't you think?
A. It is definitely universal. The abuse of people. How we as human beings deal with fear and pain. We tend to find the weaker member of the group the family or society and we make them the receptacle for a lot of our suffering.
I think you can appreciate (this movie) on a basic level, which is I know someone who's been through this. If you're a guy and you've got a mother, you've got a sister, a daughter or a wife, you may get some insight into something they've tried to tell you.
Q. This movie contains a lot of heavy duty stuff. What went on in between takes?
A. Sometimes we would stay in the moment. We shot this movie very fast, three or four scenes a day. We stayed focused. There would be scenes of me fighting with Whoopi (Goldberg) and beating on her.
Then, lots and lots of tenderness and apologies in between.