Hollywood is finally starting to bridge the gender gap between the roles women deserve and what is available, says actress Thandie Newton.
The Westworld star spoke to online magazine The Edit about her experiences of being a woman in the film industry and said that she thought things were beginning to improve.
She said: “I am so grateful for work [that isn't] yet another underwritten role, written for a woman by a man. I’m so grateful to finally be a three-dimensional character.”
But Thandie added that there were still plenty of ways in which life could be improved for women, including how they treat each other.
She said: “Do you know what we need? A word, like misogyny, but for women who despise other women: Femishame?”
The 44-year-old went on: “Do you ever contribute to [the blog] Everyday Sexism? I want to, but I’d have to do it endlessly. I’d have to do it about so many people I work with.”
In the interview, Thandie spoke about her experiences of growing up in Penzance, Cornwall, and how that shaped her view on life.
She said: “I was the kid who was complicated to be friends with, because I was brown. But I’m quite glad of that now – I realised how useful being alone is for figuring out your relationship to life.
“For me especially, I’m challenged all the time: being a woman who doesn’t want to communicate sexually as a way of making people comfortable; being a woman in a tough industry; being a spokesperson for voiceless women; being African, but also being English. There are so many things I need to speak for.”
To read the full interview with Thandie Newton, go to www.net-a-porter.com/magazine/386/14.
