Thandie Newton Chronicles of Riddick

NEWTON'S LAW ON HOLLYWOOD AND SUCCESS

EXCLUSIVE Chronicles of Riddick Interview by Paul Fischer in Los Angeles.

Thandie Newton has a practical and fiercely honest perspective on hercareer, at least in Hollywood. The still luminous actress, who turns up as akind of Lady Macbeth figure in the new Vin Diesel blockbuster, TheChronicles of Riddick, also turned up for several episodes of the hugelypopular E.R. She was easily persuaded to join the cast of the show as anAIDS worker in Africa, who ultimately falls for Dr John Carter, getspregnant and loses their baby. "I really liked the storyline and reallyenjoyed watching the show but as a fan: Thursday night, order take out,friends and ER. I don't have that kind of career where people really tell mewhat to do," she suddenly concedes. "So I did it and I had a lot of fundoing the first one, but then it became just a little bit of a bind eventhough I enjoyed every like < everyone I had to play opposite." Newton saysshe has at least one more episode to shoot, which will presumably wrap upher storyline. "It's amazing what they can do, in that they can provideclosure to a storyline and you don't even have to actually be there," shesays laughingly. "The other good thing about TV is you film eight scenes aday. I mean, the first day I was shooting I had lower back pain at the endof the day because I had not sat down all day. God, it was fantastic. Iloved it. Fucking films. You can spend hours and hours waiting, waiting,waiting, and waiting. And that's OK if it's a very involving piece. Also, ifyou have the will power, it means you can pursue other careers quite happilyin the trailer. You know, you can be a fashion designer or a writer." Anoption that she is seriously considering, she says. "I think I'll probablywrite something, a Family. Drama. I'm good at frame works and plots, but mydial up is atrocious. It gets very over-wrought. My husband's a writer andhis dial up is brilliant, so, I'm very often his script-editor, so I thinkwe'll probably write something together."

One would imagine that shooting a film such as Chronicles of Riddick,affords Newton an opportunity to contemplate her future. In a careerspanning some 15 years, when as, a beautiful adolescent, she made anauspicious debut in Flirting, Newton's career can be defined as diverse andunpredictable. Yet here she is parading around on screen in a tightlyadorned golden costume, chewing the scenery as one of many antagonists inRiddick. She is surprised when it is suggested that her appearing in a VinDiesel film seems something of an anomaly. "I really believe that if you'rea strong actor, good actor, you can literally do anything and will alwaysbounce back from wherever you are, and you know what? I've been involved inprojects that hands down I thought would be a success or at least wouldguarantee some kind of quality, and they haven't or they've gone some way todoing that but not," Newton passionately explains. "I just feel like it'sgot to be about the process and about the doing of it, rather than be abouthow it's going to be perceived. It's got to be about what it feels like atthe time of actually making that project, because just a few times I'veworked on projects because I think that it will seem great, or it will be areally good career move or about perception and I haven't had a good time. Ihaven't enjoyed the experience and it's not that I knew I wasn't gonna enjoyit, or knew that I was gonna enjoy it, I wasn't doing it for the experienceof making a film necessarily, and I just decided I wanted to do things thatwere going to make me feel interested."

Newton said that agreeing to do Riddick had nothing to do with it being aVin Diesel film or, in cynical terms, about pure Hollywood business. "Adecision that would come before that will be about timing. I hadn't workedfor about six months, was really unhappy with my representation which Idon't really think about but it was very clear that it was not working. Iwould have these meetings with an agent that would say, 'there's no reasonin the world why you can't be the next ...' and you know, you're gonna bethis huge star and I suddenly realised that what was happening was that Iwas continually feeling like a failure because I was constantly beingpitched as, 'you could be this, you could be this' and I suddenly realised,I wanted to celebrate how much I've done right now. I want to be reallyglad. I thought, I'm really happy with what's going on right now and I alsoreally believe that I have a talent as an actor and I know that I will workon projects that have depth. But to be honest, those things are few and farbetween and I don't want to be not working for six months because I'mwaiting for an amazing script, so when I read the Chronicles of Riddick, Iliked the idea. I liked the twists and turns in the story. I didn't reallythink about Vin. I literally hadn't seen a Vin Diesel film. I know who heis. and I know that the kids love him, and I also thought that he woulddefinitely fit this role as a kind of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Conan theBarbarian, Terminator kind of quality. I was willing to take a chance onthat and I liked the idea of playing this Lady Macbeth. It seemed like a lotof fun to me." Newton found her character appealing, "because it was astrong, malicious character which I hadn't done before and thought it wasinteresting to play someone who the audience wouldn't automaticallysympathise with."

Newton also loved the fact that whether Riddick succeeds or fails, "it willnot do so, based on my participation and that is something you have to thinkabout. You don't want to be involved in a hugely high profile film thatcould be an absolute disaster, but also, it's not good to supposedly becarrying film after film and then not doing well because then people justassociate you with bad material."

Newton has survived in an industry which, by her own admission, chews outactor after actor. Yet, some 18 films since 1991's Flirting, the 32-year oldactress says that it's "the occasional film that just reignites my love foracting," Newton says. "I can go through months where I just want to quit andit's funny the films that do reignite that love,"

Thandie's consistent strength in this volatile business, has as much to dowith her family as anything. Happily married to writer Oliver Parker, thecouple has a four-year old daughter, Ripley. She says balancing marriage,motherhood and career have proven a challenge she has met with gusto. "It'sbeen perfect because there were times before we had Ripley when I justdidn't enjoy the sitting around, the down time, or the lack of emotional andintellectual stimulus and satisfaction. That really bothered me and I justthought I've got to find another career, which you can't, because it is justtoo demanding. Then I became a mother and it just fills every space, thatisn't filled with something else important. It's just like this incredibleballoon that blows up and fills life up."

Newton continues to call London home, refusing to base herself here in LosAngeles. "London is like a bit of a holiday resort because I don't work muchin England, which is fine. I don't mind because I work steadily and I'mquite happy to, because when I come to LA it's all business and I just sortof put my head down."

Newton is planning to co-write a script with her husband for a Hollywood studio, has an Indie film, Crash, due out later this year, and then hopes to concentrate on another important production. "I want more babies," Newton confesses. Asked why the big gap between Ripley and future children, Newton says, "We're just dining out on the experience of being with her. Of course having kids close together is a good idea because they get to be really great buddies but I just I wanted to. Wait and devote as much energy and time to her. It's taken this long to feel like she's ready."

THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK OPENS IN JULY