Thandie Newton

Born: 6th November 1972
Where: Zambia, Africa

The Cambridge graduate's unlikely breakthrough role was opposite Tom Cruise in the action thriller Mission: Impossible 2.

Newton had moved to Britain due to political unrest in South Africa and studied theatre when a back injury ended her dance apprenticeship.

She made her feature debut in the excellent coming-of-age movie Flirting but her English accent was blamed for holding her back.

Eventually the big screen called once more and Newton landed a part in Interview with the Vampire alongside Tom Cruise.

Her first Hollywood role came with Jefferson in Paris in 1995 and she went on to secure the title role in Jonathan Demme's Beloved.

Next came John Woo's Mission: Impossible 2, where she reunited with Cruise to play an international thief.

She starred in British gangster flick It Was An Accident and worked with Demme again on The Truth About Charlie, opposite Mark Wahlberg.

Recent work includes the role of Dame Vaako opposite Vin Diesel in the sci-fi thriller Chronicles of Riddick.

Upcoming projects include Shade, which is set in the world of dodgy LA poker bars.