<ul class="summary-list"><li>The first episode of HBO's new drama series "The Last of Us" premiered Sunday night.</li><li>People are praising Nico Parker's performance <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-last-of-us-show-cast-who-theyre-playing-photos-2023-1#nico-parker-plays-joels-daughter-sarah-2">in a pivotal role.</a></li></ul>Warning: Minor spoilers ahead for season one, episode one of "The Last of Us."Eighteen-year-old Nico Parker has a starring role in the pilot episode of HBO's new drama series <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/the-last-of-us">"The Last of Us."</a> Based on a video game of the same name, the show opens with a prologue of sorts that tells the story of a man named Joel (played by Pedro Pascal) and his family during an apocalyptic event. Parker's performance as Joel's daughter Sarah has been garnering praise online for providing maximal emotional impact within the first hour of the series. If Parker looks familiar, it might be because she's the daughter of "Westworld" star and acclaimed actor Thandiwe Newton. Parker's last name comes from her father, the writer and director Ol Parker (who helmed the beloved 2018 movie "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again").<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—jackson langford (@jacksonlangford) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1615286770673025025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2023</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—nico (@gurlnico) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1614827334535626753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—parody account (@richonnescamino) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1614827921264230401?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote><blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">—thomas (@thomyboii) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1615209198970703872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2023</a></blockquote>Parker has previously been cast in movies including 2019's "Dumbo" and 2020's "Reminiscence" (which Newton also costarred in). <div type="image" title="Ol Parker, Nico Parker, and Thandie Newton attend the premiere of Disney's &quot;Dumbo&quot; at El Capitan Theatre on March 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, California." height="1700" width="2267" msid="97075514" hostid="261"></div>"I sort of steered the kids away from it, but the reality is that she is so well primed," Newton said <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1ky8gpTRlc&amp;t=16s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">during a 2018 SAG-AFTRA panel moderated by Insider.</a>Newton joked that Colin Farrell had been "scared" of her then-14-year-old daughter because she would just sit quietly on the set and observe her costars. Newton smiled as the crowd laughed, and then folded her arms in imitation of Parker returning from work for the day."She would come home and be like, 'Colin didn't know what to say to me again today,'" Newton said. "How extraordinary that my child is exactly who I wish I could have been," the "Westworld" star said when reflecting on advice she would give her younger self. "I wish I could have had that self-awareness and dignity and no need to people please."Newton and Ol Parker also have an older daughter, Ripley, and younger son, Booker. The couple separated in 2022. "The Last of Us" season one premiere is streaming on HBO Max now. Read <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-last-of-us-review-2023-1">Insider's review of the video game adaptation here.</a>

'The Last of Us' standout Nico Parker might look familiar because she's Thandiwe Newton's daughter

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11996562" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="thandiwe-newton" source="Orion">Thandiwe Newton</keyword> said she wants to apologize to "darker-skinned actresses."</li><li>Newton said it's "painful" to feel that she is "not representing" actresses who are "darker-skinned."</li></ul>Thandiwe Newton recently said she wants to "apologize every day to darker-skinned actresses" for not representing them during a <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/thandiwe-newton-apologises-to-darker-skinned-actresses-for-not-representing-them-12531634">tearful interview on Sky News</a>. Newton appeared on the British broadcaster to discuss her new film "God's Country," which is an adaptation of a short story by author James Lee Burke. The film, however, switches the main character in the story from an older white man to a Black woman. The 49-year-old actress told Sky News that she was hesitant to join the film because she feared she wasn't dark-skinned enough for the role. "My internalized prejudice was stopping me from feeling like I could play this role when it's precisely that prejudice that I've received," she told Sky News. "Doesn't matter that it's from African-American women more than anyone else, doesn't matter. I received prejudice. Anyone who's received oppression and prejudice feels this character."The "Westworld" star continued that she frequently wants to apologize to "darker-skinned actresses" for the opportunities she's offered. "I'm sorry that I'm the one chosen. My mama looks like you. My mom looks like you," she said as she began to cry. "It's been very painful to have women look like my mum feel like I'm not representing them — that I'm taking from them, taking their men, taking their work, taking their truth. I didn't mean to."<div type="image" title="A picture of Thandie Newton and her husband Ol Parker." height="2507" width="3343" msid="89351858" hostid="261"></div>"God's Country" is the first time Newton will use her birth name, Thandiwe, after decades of using the name Thandie in Hollywood.In the May 2021 cover story of British Vogue, the 49-year-old actress told writer Diana Evans the true spelling of her first name and announced that going forward, she will be credited with the correct spelling. Newton explained that the "w" in her first name was carelessly left out of her first acting credit."That's my name," she <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/thandiwe-newton-interview">told British Vogue</a>, which noted that Thandiwe means "beloved" in Shona — an African language that is primarily spoken in Zimbabwe. "It's always been my name. I'm taking back what's mine.""God's Country" debuted at the Sundance film festival. The film currently has no release date.

Thandiwe Newton apologizes to 'darker-skinned actresses' for getting more opportunities: 'I'm sorry that I'm the one chosen'

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11893560" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="actress" source="Orion">Actress</keyword> Tanya Fear has been found safe, the <keyword id="11940480" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="los-angeles" source="Orion">Los Angeles</keyword> Police Department said Monday.</li><li>A missing-persons report for Fear was filed days prior on Thursday. </li><li>The police confirmed that the actress' family has been notified. </li></ul>"<keyword id="12084463" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="doctor-who" source="Orion">Doctor Who</keyword>" actress Tanya Fear has been found safe days after she was reported missing in Los Angeles last week, the <a href="https://abc7.com/tanya-fear-find-year-tanyaradzwa-missing-person/11017736/">Los Angeles Police Department</a> said Monday. The police confirmed to Insider that the actress and stand-up comedian's family had been notified. On Monday, Insider confirmed that Fear has been located and removed from the missing-persons database during a phone call with the LAPD. No additional information was provided, however Fear's manager Alex Cole, told <a href="https://ew.com/tv/tanya-fear-missing-los-angeles/">Entertainment Weekly</a>, "We will have a statement shortly once we have confirmation ourselves." Fear, who is best known for her appearance in a 2018 "Doctor Who" episode called "Arachnids in the UK," had previously not been seen since Thursday, September 9. The actress' friends and family started a social media appeal to find her after a missing-persons report was filed Thursday. According to a <a href="https://twitter.com/FindTanyaFear">Twitter account</a> set up by her friends that's dedicated to her search, Fear went missing in the Hollywood Bowl area.On Sunday @FindTanyaFear tweeted: "This account is dedicated to finding our beloved Tanya Fear who went missing in the Hollywood Bowl area on 9th Sep 2021. Tanya has a distinct British accent, is 5ft4, weighs about 140lbs, brown eyes, black hair and her hair looks like the picture below." <blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-#FindTanyaFear (@FindTanyaFear) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1437183368538509314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 12, 2021</a></blockquote>@FindTanyaFear also tweeted that Fear had been spotted on Sunday afternoon after she had been reported missing."Tanya was last seen at Trader Joe's on Santa Monica Blvd," they said. "Anyone in that area please keep your eyes open! Thank you for all the help! Contact @FindTanyaFear or (213)-927-2971 #findtanyafear"They also said that Fear was wearing "a short-sleeved brown collared fitted top with a few buttons at the top" and "dark plaid pants" when she was last spotted.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet blockquote" data-lang="en" data-cards="" data-conversation="">-#FindTanyaFear (@FindTanyaFear) <a href="https://twitter.com/mims/statuses/1437306788622241795?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2021</a></blockquote>Fear's manager Cole also confirmed that the actress' disappearance to <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/tanya-fear-missing-doctor-who-la-b1918920.html">The Independent,</a> saying that the family had reported the incident to the police. Cole said the actor, who was born in Zimbabwe and brought up in the UK, had been in LA for roughly two months performing stand-up comedy in the area.Cole added that when the two last spoke Fear seemed fine and he described the disappearance as a "shock."Insider has reached out to Cole for further comment.

'Doctor Who' actress Tanya Fear has been found safe days after she was reported missing in Los Angeles

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Newton is up for being in a superhero movie. But it needs to be a meaty role.</li><li>She said her response after being offered the part of a mother who "just dies" was "Meh, no."</li><li>Newton said recently "there is better substance around these superhero things."</li></ul><keyword id="11996562" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="thandiwe-newton" source="Orion">Thandiwe Newton</keyword> is open to being in a superhero movie, but there's got to be some substance to the role."I was offered a role playing someone's mum who just dies," the actress <a href="https://www.ladbible.com/entertainment/tv-and-film-thandiwe-newton-reveals-she-turned-down-role-in-superhero-film-20210827">revealed to LAD Bible recently</a>. "I was like, 'Meh, no.'"The "Westworld" star did admit though that now more than ever superhero <keyword id="11898343" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="movies" source="Orion">movies</keyword> are evolving and she wants to be part. "The perfect example is Taika Waititi, <a href="https://www.insider.com/thor-ragnarok-how-korg-became-a-scene-stealer-2017-11">what he did with 'Ragnarok</a>,'" Newton said of the 2017 "Thor" movie. "I love that the actors in it really want to push it too, of course they do - it's boring otherwise, Jesus."Newton said that previously she wasn't interested in starring in the superhero genre because it was so focused on big box office success."As a genre they bore me these big franchises, and I'm quite cynical about it too because it's just about money," she continued. "It's this behemoth of money that's just like rolling forward gathering more money, right?"<div type="image" title="Thandiwe Newton Solo" height="917" width="1222" msid="85818721" hostid="261"></div>"But now I feel like there is a demand from both the audience," she said. "I think people who are involved in the movies - but certainly the world - that there is better substance around these superhero things."Newton, who currently stars in the thriller "Reminiscence" opposite Hugh Jackman, has dabbled in big blockbusters in the past, but they haven't been the most memorable experiences, she's said previously.In 2020 she said <a href="https://www.insider.com/thandie-newton-tom-cruise-mission-impossible-2-nightmare-interview-2020-7">it was a "nightmare" working alongside Tom Cruise</a> on 2000's "Mission: Impossible 2;" and just last week she revealed how disappointed she was that her character in 2018's "Solo: A Star Wars Story" was killed off."Actually, in the script, she wasn't killed," she <a href="https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/thandiwe-newton-interview-reminiscence-star-wars-westworld">told Inverse</a> of playing Val in the standalone "Star Wars" movie. "It happened during filming. And it was much more just to do with the time we had to do the scenes. It's much easier just to have me die than it is to have me fall into a vacuum of space so I can come back sometime."

Thandiwe Newton rejected a superhero movie because the role was a 'mum who just dies'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Newton has been going by the first name "Thandie" her entire career. Not any more.</li><li>"That's my name," she told British Vogue. "It's always been my name. I'm taking back what's mine."</li><li>Thandiwe means "beloved" in the Bantu language of the Shona people in Zimbabwe.</li></ul>Emmy winner <keyword id="11050050" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="thandiwe-newton">Thandiwe Newton</keyword> has been going by the name "Thandie" ever since her first role. But no more.In the May 2021 cover story of <a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/thandiwe-newton-interview">British Vogue</a>, the 48-year-old "Westworld" star told writer Diana Evans the true spelling of her first name and announced that going forward, she will be credited with the correct spelling.Newton said that the "W" in her first name was carelessly left out of her first acting credit."That's my name," she told British Vogue, which said Thandiwe means "beloved" in Shona. "It's always been my name. I'm taking back what's mine."This is the latest chapter in the evolution of Newton. In 2016 she spoke out about being a victim of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/thandie-newton-sexual-abuse-audition-2016-7">sexual abuse during an audition</a>, a year before Hollywood was turned on its head due to the #MeToo movement.She told British Vogue's Evans she had to fire her publicist at the time, who told her to stop speaking out about being sexually abused because it was "not good for your reputation."<div type="image" title="Thandie Newton Maeve Westworld season three HBO " height="1280" width="1707" msid="81915771" hostid="261"></div>In 2018, she and her "Westworld" costar Evan Rachel Wood <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/04/thandie-newton-westworld-equal-pay-evan-rachel-wood">fought for pay equality</a>. And in an explosive 2002 Vulture interview, Newton said that she <a href="https://www.insider.com/thandie-newton-charlies-angels-sexist-racist-role-amy-pascal-mcg-2020-7">turned down a role</a> in 2000's "Charlie's Angels" because she felt "objectified" in casting meetings and accusing Sony executive Amy Pascal of pressuring her to turn the character she was to play into a Black stereotype.Newton said because of all these moments in recent years she finally feels empowered in Hollywood. The change back to her real name is the latest push forward for equality."The thing I'm most grateful for in our business right now is being in the company of others who truly see me," she said. "And to not be complicit in the objectification of Black people as 'others,' which is what happens when you're the only one."

Thandiwe Newton reclaims the true spelling of her name: 'I'm taking back what's mine'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Thandiwe Newton told Inverse that it was a "big, big mistake" to kill off her character in "Solo."</li><li>Newton was the first Black woman not cast as an alien to have a major role in the series.</li><li>She said her death was not originally in the script but was changed during filming.</li></ul>The actor Thandiwe Newton <a href="https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/thandiwe-newton-interview-reminiscence-star-wars-westworld">told Inverse</a> she thought it was a "big, big mistake" for her character in "Solo: A <keyword id="11962336" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="star-wars" source="Orion">Star Wars</keyword> Story" to be killed off, considering she was the first Black woman to have a major role in the franchise.The movie follows the origins of the iconic "Star Wars" smuggler <keyword id="11962340" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="han-solo" source="Orion">Han Solo</keyword> (Alden Ehrenreich). Newton played Val, a no-nonsense smuggler who was part of a crew Solo joins in the movie.Val sacrifices herself and dies in the first third of the movie, but Newton says that wasn't originally how the scene was going to play out.She told Inverse: "I felt disappointed by 'Star Wars' that my character was killed. And, actually, in the script, she wasn't killed. It happened during filming. And it was much more just to do with the time we had to do the scenes. It's much easier just to have me die than it is to have me fall into a vacuum of space so I can come back sometime."That's what it originally was: that the explosion and she falls out and you don't know where she's gone. So I could have come back at some point. But when we came to filming, as far as I was concerned and was aware, when it came to filming that scene, it was too huge a set piece to create, so they just had me blow up and I'm done."<div type="image" title="maz kanata force awakens" height="605" width="808" msid="85685755" hostid="261"></div>As a franchise, "Star Wars" has had a complicated history when it comes to <keyword id="11929860" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="diversity" source="Orion">diversity</keyword>. Critics, such as <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/12/1/star-wars-stereotypes-not-a-force-for-good">Alistair Crighton from Al Jazeera</a>, have condemned the racial and cultural stereotypes used in the "Star Wars" prequels. Last year, John Boyega also criticized the handling of his character in the "Star Wars" sequels in an interview with <a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/john-boyega-interview-2020">GQ</a> because he thought Finn was marketed as "important" in the trailers only to be sidelined in the actual movie.Newton also <a href="https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/sci-fi/solo-a-star-wars-story-thandie-newton-character-val-details/">spoke with Radio Times</a> about the significance of her role in "Solo" in 2018 considering that multiple Black women before her had been cast only as aliens."I'm the first woman of color to have a prominent role in the 'Star Wars' legacy," she said. "There have been others with one line, and Lupita Nyong'o was a computer-generated character" - in "The Force Awakens" and "The Last Jedi" - "but you didn't get to see the color of her skin. I'm the first. I'm going to have a toy and everything. It's exciting, but that's all I can say. It is a big deal."Hence she was not pleased with the end result for Val. She said in the Inverse interview: "But I remembered at the time thinking, 'This is a big, big mistake' - not because of me, not because I wanted to come back. You don't kill off the first Black woman to ever have a real role in a Star Wars movie. Like, are you f---ing joking?"

Thandiwe Newton says 'Star Wars' made a 'big, big mistake' killing off her character

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A second season of Netflix's hit show "Wednesday" is in the works. </li><li>Star Jenna Ortega has said that season two will digress from the love triangle involving Wednesday. </li></ul>Netflix's teen series "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wednesday-jenna-ortega-tim-burton-hairstyle-delayed-filming-2023-3">Wednesday</a>" is returning for more episodes after a wildly successful, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wednesday-jenna-ortega-expresses-regret-over-iconic-dance-scene-2023-1">viral</a> first season. The show, which stars <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wednesday-jenna-ortega-emma-myers-friendship-voice-memos-protective-insider-2023-3">Jenna Ortega</a> as the iconic character Wednesday Addams, was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_MuZmJNirw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">renewed</a> for season two in January 2023. Here's what we know about the upcoming season so far. <h2>Season 2 will lean more into horror and focus less on Wednesday's love life</h2><div type="image" title="Hunter Doohan as Tyler Galpin and Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams on season one, episode seven of &quot;Wednesday.&quot;" height="2076" width="2768" msid="106908095" hostid="261"></div>Amid investigating mysteries on season one, Wednesday also found herself in a love triangle with two of her peers at Nevermore Academy: Xavier Thorpe (Percy Hynes White), the brooding psychic artist, and Tyler Galpin (Hunter Doohan), a barista at Weathervane Cafe and the son of the town's sheriff.Ortega previously voiced her dissatisfaction with the love triangle during an <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/3JUgWtSI8NBgoVDgM1Y3wY?si=427770f2413f4138" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">episode</a> of the podcast "Armchair Expert With Dax Shepard," saying that it <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jenna-ortega-wednesday-love-triangle-made-no-sense-interview-2023-3">made "no sense"</a> for a character like Wednesday.During an appearance on NBC's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Smpwc43hVgI" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon</a>" in March, Ortega again downplayed her character's romances. "I think we want to up the horror aspect of it a little bit and then get Wednesday out of her romantic situation and just let her be her own individual and fight her own crime."She shared similar comments during <a href="https://wp.me/pc8uak-1lCAfu" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">a conversation with Elle Fanning for Variety's Actors on Actors, published in June</a>. "We want to lean into the horror aspect of the show a little bit more," Ortega said, "because it is so lighthearted, and a show like this with vampires and werewolves and superpowers, you don't want to take yourself too seriously.""We're ditching any romantic love interest for Wednesday, which is really great," she added.Ortega reiterated that season two will be more horror-focused while speaking to <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1393137/emmys-2023-jenna-ortegas-wednesday-season-2-update-will-send-shivers-down-your-spine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">E! News</a> at the postponed 2023 Emmys in January 2024."There are some really, really good one-liners," Ortega said, also teasing more action. "I think each episode will probably feel a little bit like a movie, which is nice." Ortega elaborated on the difference between seasons one and two in an interview with <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/jenna-ortega-2024-hollywood-portfolio-interview" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vanity Fair</a> published on Wednesday."In the first season we had episodes that really stood out visually, like the dance episode was a really big one for people, and that setting was very particular and it felt like 'Prom Night,' a little bit, or 'Carrie,'" she said."Every episode [of season two] that I've read so far is like that," Ortega continued. "It just stands out on its own as a very memorable scene or bit or setting, which I think is what I'm most excited for, because to pull that off for eight episodes is, I think, really incredible and really lucky."<h2>Ortega will serve as a producer on season 2 </h2><div type="image" title="Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams in Netflix's &quot;Wednesday.&quot;" height="1800" width="2400" msid="106908097" hostid="261"></div>Ortega famously (and controversially) <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wednesday-jenna-ortega-unprofessional-changed-lines-flash-mob-2023-3">changed script lines and vetoed a flash mob scene</a> on season one of the series.When she returns for the next installment of episodes, she'll have even more of a saying in decision-making. "When I went into 'Wednesday' I really put my foot down and made it clear that everything that I had to say mattered and was heard," Ortega said in a comedy actress roundtable interview for <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/jenna-ortega-elle-fanning-comedy-actress-roundtable-1235507685/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>. "And as the show went on, we all got a better feel for one another and it's become a really collaborative experience, and I feel really lucky to be able to be in the room early next season and be talking about scripts and giving notes."Ortega also <a href="https://variety.com/2023/tv/features/jenna-ortega-elle-fanning-social-media-bad-auditions-1235631696/">told Fanning</a> that adding a producer credit to her work on "Wednesday" was a "natural progression" because she's a "hands-on" person."With a character like Wednesday, who is so beloved and such a legend, I just really didn't want to get her wrong," she explained. "So I try to have as many conversations as possible."Ortega continued: "In preparation for a second season, we wanted to get ahead of the curve and make sure that we could start the conversations earlier. And I'm just so curious. I want to see the outfits, new characters that are coming in, scripts, and they were gracious enough to let me put the producer hat on."<h2>Another Addams family member is expected to appear</h2><div type="image" title="Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Adams and Luis Guzmán as Gomez Addams on season one, episode one of &quot;Wednesday.&quot;" height="1800" width="2400" msid="106908099" hostid="261"></div>Season one included appearances from Gomez (Luis Guzmán), Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones), Pugsley (Isaac Ordonez), and Uncle Fester (Fred Armisen).During Netflix's "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQKNn5LEKic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tudum: A Global Fan Event</a>" in June, cast members Ortega, Doohan, Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), and Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay) confirmed that someone else from the kooky family will show up — but it's unclear who. <h2>Steve Buscemi and Thandiwe Newton are reportedly joining the cast </h2><div type="image" title="Steve Buscemi, left, in February 2024. Thandiwe Newton, right, in March 2022." height="900" width="1200" msid="109542174" hostid="261" sizebytes="112838"></div>According to <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/wednesday-season-2-cast-thandiwe-newton-1235979378/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Variety</a>, the "Miracle Workers" star and "Westworld" actor will both appear in season two of "Wednesday." Newton's role is unclear, but Buscemi will <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/wednesday-season-2-cast-steve-buscemi-1235972650/">reportedly</a> play the new principal of Nevermore Academy after previous headmistress Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie) was killed off during season one. <h2>The release date hasn't been announced yet</h2><div type="image" title="Jenna Ortega and Thing in Netflix's &quot;Wednesday.&quot;" height="1800" width="2400" msid="106908101" hostid="261"></div>Development of season two was paused during the writers' and actors' strikes. After both strikes were resolved, <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/11/wednesday-production-move-ireland-season-2-start-romania-1235601823/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deadline</a> reported that season two of "Wednesday" will be filmed in Ireland, with production aiming to begin in late April.

What we can expect from season 2 of 'Wednesday'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Nico Parker's parents are Thandiwe Newton and "Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again" director Ol Parker.</li><li>Speaking <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2023/02/introducing-nico-parker.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with the Cut</a>, "The Last of Us" star said she knows she has more access than most actors.</li></ul>"The Last of Us" breakout star Nico Parker added her voice to <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/nepo-babies">the "nepo baby" conversation</a> in a new interview published Thursday."I think it's incredibly important to recognize that with your parents being prevalent in the industry, it's way easier to get in the room," Parker <a href="https://www.thecut.com/2023/02/introducing-nico-parker.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told New York Magazine in a new profile.</a> "It's so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room, and how lucky you are to be there."Parker, 18, is the daughter of "Westworld" star Thandiwe Newton and Ol Parker, the filmmaker who helmed 2018's "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again."New York Magazine writer Iana Murray reported that Parker "openly talks about being the daughter of Newton and Parker and the shortcuts such a position has provided her." According to the article, the night before "The Last of Us" creator Craig Mazin decided to cast Parker in the now-hit HBO show, the showrunner sent a direct message to Parker's dad, asking how tall she was. "Parker is well aware of the 'nepo baby' debate, noting that she sympathizes with celebrity children who feel the term might be 'minimizing' how hard they work to stay inside the industry once they've stuck a foot in the door," Murray writes before quoting Parker on the importance of understanding nepotism privileges.<div type="image" title="A side by side image of Nico Parker (18) and her mother Thandiwe Newton (50) in &quot;The Last of Us&quot; and &quot;Westworld&quot; on HBO." height="900" width="1200" msid="97561706" hostid="261" sizebytes="70338"></div>"It's so important to know how many people would dream of being in that room, and how lucky you are to be there," Parker said. "Especially when you start, your parents know people, and you've known people since you were small, and they want to give you a chance because they like you. That is a reflection of your parents."This isn't Parker's first big role in Hollywood, though. She <a href="https://www.insider.com/last-of-us-actor-nico-parker-is-thandiwe-newtons-daughter-2023-1">costarred alongside Colin Farrell</a> in Tim Burton's 2019 "Dumbo" remake. Parker and her mother also both appeared in the 2020 movie "Reminiscence." "The Last of Us" season one premiere is streaming on HBO Max now. Read <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-last-of-us-review-2023-1" rel="">Insider's review of the video game adaptation here.</a>

Nico Parker says 'The Last of Us' creator messaged her father before she was cast and that famous parents make it 'way easier to get in the room'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A TikTok influencer filmed herself asking her best friends to call her by her full name.</li><li>She said they had been calling her Zha instead of her full Indonesian name Zhafira for years.</li></ul>A TikToker appeared to <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@zhafiraiha/video/7212207451414793490" target="_blank" rel="noopener">capture the moment</a> she told her friends she wanted to be called by her full Indonesian name instead of the shorter nickname they knew her by.The creator, a Harvard graduate student named Zhafira Aqyla, filmed herself explaining that she wanted to make this change to take power over her name and not reduce her identity.In the video, which has received over 2 million views, Aqyla appears to address people who are off-camera, saying in an on-screen caption that they are her friends who had been calling her "Zha" for five years. <blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@zhafiraiha/video/7212207451414793490" data-video-id="7212207451414793490" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@zhafiraiha" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@zhafiraiha?refer=embed">@zhafiraiha</a> I told my best friends to call me Zhafira after having called me Zha in the last 5 years <a title="name" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/name?refer=embed">#name</a> <a title="bff" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/bff?refer=embed">#bff</a> <a title="longdistance" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/longdistance?refer=embed">#longdistance</a> <a title="japan" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/japan?refer=embed">#japan</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed">#fyp</a> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Zhafira Aqyla" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-Zhafira-Aqyla-7212207465214069506?refer=embed">♬ original sound - Zhafira Aqyla</a> </section> </blockquote> She said that starting in 2023 as a new resolution, she wanted to go by Zhafira, and said she had begun asking everyone to call her by that, including her husband."This is me taking power of my own name," Aqyla explained. She said the reason she asked people to call her Zha in the first place was that she thought her full Indonesian name would be too complicated for people to say."But I realized that it's me kind of reducing my identity, and I feel like that's the colonized person in me wanting to service other people by doing that, and I feel like I don't wanna do that anymore," she continued.One of the people off-camera said it might take some time for them to adjust, which Aqyla said was OK."If you call me Zha, I'm not gonna get angry," Aqyla said. "It's a process for everyone."As the video ended, one person could be heard saying they'd do their best, while another giggled and said this was the biggest shock they'd ever heard.The raw moment has fascinated viewers, with some commenters calling Aqyla an inspiration. Some users praised Aqyla's friends for taking it in and being respectful even though they were surprised, while others criticized them for seeming to suggest that her name would be difficult to say, or for acting like it would be an inconvenience for them to switch over."It's been a little while and I hope they have respected this for you, you deserve that," one person commented on the video. "It's not a big ask."People with non-Western names have spoken out before about <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/culture/personal-history/america-ruined-my-name-for-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">feeling pressure</a> to change their names, or to adopt a more typically <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/01/immigrants-american-sounding-first-names/579367/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Anglo-sounding name</a> so they could assimilate into Western culture. In 2021, the British actress Thandiwe Newton said she had been going as "Thandie" her entire career because the "W" was thoughtlessly left out of her name in her first acting credit, and announced she would be <a href="https://www.insider.com/thandiwe-newton-reveals-true-spelling-of-her-name-2021-4">going by her full name again</a> to reclaim it.In addition to her TikTok page, which has over 470,000 followers, Aqyla is popular on YouTube, with a channel dedicated to showing her life at home and college that has over 280,000 subscribers.Aqyla did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

A TikToker shared the moment she asked friends to call her by her Indonesian name, rather than her nickname: 'That's the colonized person in me'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warning: Major spoilers ahead for "Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One."</li><li>"Mission Impossible" does not have a great track record when it comes to female characters.</li></ul>In the latest <a href="https://www.insider.com/mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-one-review-2023-7">"Mission: Impossible" film, Dead Reckoning Part One,"</a> Ethan Hunt (<a href="https://www.insider.com/tom-cruise-mission-impossible-premiere-impressed-every-person-red-carpet-2023-6">Tom Cruise</a>) is faced with an unthinkable decision.Save Ilsa Faust (<a href="https://www.insider.com/mission-impossible-rebecca-ferguson-wears-leggings-red-carpet-2023-6">Rebecca Ferguson</a>) — his longtime ally and complicated love interest — or save Grace (<a href="https://www.insider.com/mission-impossible-pom-klementieff-hayley-atwell-helped-create-roles-2023-6">Hayley Atwell</a>), a newly introduced character clearly set up to be the next woman Ethan has a weird savior-romantic relationship with.Being the noble spy he is, Ethan tries to save both, but fate (also known as the <a href="https://www.insider.com/mission-impossible-7-tom-cruise-motorcycle-stunt-paramount-director-2023-6">"Mission: Impossible"</a> writers) has other plans, and Ilsa is killed while trying to save the newcomer.While Ilsa's death is sad, what's even more devastating is that in the 27 years Tom Cruise's <a href="https://www.insider.com/mission-impossible-stars-who-played-marvel-dc-characters-2023-7">"Mission: Impossible"</a> franchise has been around, she was probably the most well-rounded female character the series has ever seen.<div type="image" title="Sarah Davies (Kristin Scott Thomas) was one of the first women close to Ethan (Cruise) to die in the beginning of &quot;Mission: Impossible 1.&quot;" height="998" width="1331" msid="101735770" hostid="261" sizebytes="52820"></div><h2>The women of the 'Mission: Impossible' franchise rarely make it past one film</h2><a href="https://www.insider.com/tom-cruise-mission-impossible-movies-ranked-worst-to-best-2023-6">Throughout the franchise</a>, a recurring theme has been that Hunt's heroism puts the people closest to him at risk."Mission: Impossible" falls too often into what feminist comic book fans have termed the <a href="https://lby3.com/wir/r-gsimone.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"Women in Refrigerators</a>" trope (or "fridging" for short), where a female character is put through a tragedy to propel the story of a male character.While male allies of Hunt have also been endangered and killed in the series, violence aimed at women has been discreetly coded into the franchise and often serves as the catalyst for the action. In Cruise's first "Mission: Impossible" film, in the opening scene, a female agent has to fake her death and almost actually dies in order for Ethan to complete his mission. At the beginning of the 2006 film "Mission: Impossible III," a mentee of Hunt's (played by Keri Russell) is killed while Hunt tries to save her. Avenging her death becomes Hunt's goal.Later, in 2015's "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation," Ethan's mission is again fueled by the death of a woman. While Ethan has other reasons to chase the villainous Syndicate in "Rogue Nation," his quest is partly fueled by the fact that he's unable to save an unnamed female spy (Hermione Corfield) from death at the beginning of the movie.Even women that somehow avoid a terminal fate often don't make it past a second movie and are pushed out the revolving door for another woman to take their place.These women range from one-note mercenaries who are killed by the end of the movie (Léa Seydoux and <a href="https://www.insider.com/tom-cruise-pom-klementieff-kick-mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-2023-6">Pom Klementieff</a>), allies whom Ethan mentors (Maggie Q and Paula Patton), or love interests (Emmanuelle Béart and Thandiwe Newton), all of whom are quickly forgotten after the credits roll.<div type="image" title="Angela Bassett in &quot;Mission: Imposssible Fallout&quot; and Pom Klementieff in &quot;Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part one.&quot;" height="960" width="1280" msid="101735771" hostid="261" sizebytes="138956"></div>Angela Bassett's hardline CIA boss Erika Sloane, who was introduced in "Fallout," would have been a worthwhile character to develop after seeing the resourcefulness of Ethan and his spy group, the Impossible Mission Force, but even the Oscar-nominated actress is demoted to a picture in the background in <a href="https://www.insider.com/mission-impossible-cast-tom-cruise-face-masks-2023-6">"MI7."</a>Ethan's wife Julia Meade (Michelle Monaghan), the White Widow (Vanessa Kirby), and Ilsa are the only three exceptions to this rule, and Julia is almost immediately written out of the universe after "MI3," appearing only as a cameo in two movies since her first appearance.None of the women have an inner life, nor are they given the opportunity to ever speak to or interact with each other without Ethan's interference. That's why the MI films fail to pass the <a href="https://bechdeltest.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bechdel</a> test — named for comic Alison Bechdel and designed to measure the quality of representation of women in a film. To pass, movies simply have to have at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. It shouldn't be that hard, but somehow <a href="https://bechdeltest.com/?list=all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">none of the films</a> succeed at that task. This brings us back to Ilsa, one of the few women to have any real staying power, joining Ethan's core group of Benji (Simon Pegg) and Luther (Ving Rhames).<div type="image" title="Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn, Ving Rhames as Luther Stickell, Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, and Rebecca Ferguson as Ilsa Faust in &quot;Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One.&quot;" height="720" width="960" msid="101735773" hostid="261" sizebytes="79308"></div>Not only is she given a developed backstory, but Ilsa is also the first woman to match Ethan in skill and their relationship dynamic.When Ilsa is introduced in "Rogue Nation," she saves Ethan. They quickly form a dynamic where Ethan wants to protect her but also trusts her ability to handle herself. This is why it's especially frustrating when she becomes yet another woman sacrificed to Ethan's hero's journey in "Dead Reckoning."Rather than allow Ethan to have a true partner in Ilsa, he's given another damsel in distress in Grace, which has been the norm of the franchise since the beginning. "Dead Reckoning" squanders its female leads by relying on tired, well-worn tropes and traditional gender dynamics.At this point, these story formulas are not only dated — they're boring. And if Tom Cruise is really looking to take <a href="https://www.insider.com/mission-impossible-dead-reckoning-part-two-release-date-2023-7">"Mission Impossible" to the next level</a>, he should <a href="https://www.insider.com/mission-impossible-7-tom-cruise-why-motorcycle-stunt-done-first-2023-6">stop focusing on impressive stunts</a> and start fixing the poor reputation this franchise has with female characters.

'Mission: Impossible' needs to stop pushing its strong female characters out of the picture

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12690687" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="angela-sarafyan" source="Orion">Angela Sarafyan</keyword> said her "Reminiscence" costar <keyword id="11947981" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hugh-jackman" source="Orion">Hugh Jackman</keyword> was the "essence of strength."</li><li>The "<keyword id="12690689" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="westworld" source="Orion">Westworld</keyword>" star spoke to Insider ahead of the premiere of her new film, "<keyword id="12690688" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="a-house-on-the-bayou" source="Orion">A House on the Bayou</keyword>."</li></ul>Angela Sarafyan called her "Reminiscence" costar <a href="https://www.insider.com/anna-paquin-hugh-jackman-put-through-wringer-x-men-wolverine-2021-6">Hugh Jackman</a> the "essence of strength" in a new interview with Insider. Sarafyan, who stars as Clementine on <a href="https://insider.com/category/westworld">HBO's "Westworld,"</a> appeared opposite Jackman, "Westworld" costar Thandiwe Newton, and Rebecca Ferguson in the sci-fi thriller. The actress told Insider that she first met Jackman when he walked on set while she was in the middle of filming a scene for "Reminiscence." "He was so kind," Sarafyan said of their encounter. "He's such a good person. He's a phenomenal, phenomenal, actor." Even though the two don't share too many scenes together in the sci-fi film, Sarafyan still had nothing but praise for her Australian costar, calling him "the essence of strength." "He was so humble and patient, and he was just lovely. I don't think there's a bad bone in that man," Sarafyan said. <div type="image" title="Angela Sarafyan in &quot;A House on the Bayou.&quot;" height="793" width="1058" msid="88152611" hostid="261"></div>The actress also spoke to Insider about her role in the new <keyword id="11949119" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="horror" source="Orion">horror</keyword> film, "A House on the Bayou." Sarafyan plays Jessica, a tightly-wound real estate agent who takes her family on a trip to a mysterious vacation home after discovering her husband is cheating on her. Sarafyan said she's deliberate about which characters she chooses to play. "I play characters because I think that they add to the person that I am, they add to me learning about life and why people do what they do," she told Insider, calling her character Jessica "a gift." "I think my roles that come to me come for a reason, and I got to find this woman who really finds her strength," Sarafyan added. Starring Sarafyan, Paul Schneider, <a href="https://www.insider.com/who-are-the-eternals-cast-2019-7">"Eternals" star Lia McHugh</a>, and Jacob Lofland, "A House on the Bayou" is currently airing on EPIX and <a href="https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/a-house-on-the-bayou">available to rent or buy</a> through several streaming platforms, including Amazon Video and Apple <keyword id="11898468" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tv" source="Orion">TV</keyword>. You can watch the trailer below. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sJUz9BvfGzg" frameborder="0"></iframe>

You Searched For "thandiwe newton" and got 12 results

'The Last of Us' standout Nico Parker might look familiar because she's Thandiwe Newton's daughter

Kim Renfro

Thandiwe Newton apologizes to 'darker-skinned actresses' for getting more opportunities: 'I'm sorry that I'm the one chosen'

Zac Ntim

'Doctor Who' actress Tanya Fear has been found safe days after she was reported missing in Los Angeles

Ayomikun Adekaiyero

Thandiwe Newton rejected a superhero movie because the role was a 'mum who just dies'

Jason Guerrasio

Thandiwe Newton reclaims the true spelling of her name: 'I'm taking back what's mine'

Jason Guerrasio

Thandiwe Newton says 'Star Wars' made a 'big, big mistake' killing off her character

Ayomikun Adekaiyero

What we can expect from season 2 of 'Wednesday'

Olivia Singh

Nico Parker says 'The Last of Us' creator messaged her father before she was cast and that famous parents make it 'way easier to get in the room'

Kim Renfro

A TikToker shared the moment she asked friends to call her by her Indonesian name, rather than her nickname: 'That's the colonized person in me'

Kieran Press-Reynolds

'Mission: Impossible' needs to stop pushing its strong female characters out of the picture

Ayomikun Adekaiyero

'Westworld' star Angela Sarafyan praises 'humble and patient' Hugh Jackman's on-set energy while they were filming 'Reminiscence'

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Sundance 2022 returns to Park City with an expanded lineup that includes Netflix's Kanye West documentary

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