Why Thandie Newton Turned Down ‘Charlie’s Angels’ Role

Thandie Newton went viral yesterday for a revelatory interview with Vulture where the actress held nothing back when talking about racism in Hollywood.

She also opened up about what made her turn down a role in the 2000 blockbuster film Charlie’s Angels.

Newton explained, “One of the biggest movies I didn’t end up doing was because the director said to me, ‘I can’t wait for this. The first shot is going to be … You’re going to think it’s like yellow lines down a road, and you pull back and you realize it’s the stitching, because the denim is so tight on your ass it’s going to look like tarmac.”

The 47-year-old continued, “I was like, ‘Oh, I don’t think we’re going to go down this road together.’”

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Newtown also revealed she had a meeting with Amy Pascal, who was the head of Sony at the time, “She’s basically reeling off these stereotypes of how to be more convincing as a Black character.”

She also added, “Everything she said, I was like, ‘Nah, I wouldn’t do that.’ She’s like, ‘Yeah, but you’re different. You’re different.’ That was Amy Pascal. That’s not really a surprise, is it? Let’s face it: I didn’t do the movie as a result.”

Amy Pascal was fired from Sony in 2015 after leaked emails revealed several racist comments from her and other execs.

Pascal released the following statement in response to Newton’s interview, “While I take her words seriously, I have no recollection of the events she describes, nor do any of her representatives who were present at that casting session. I’ve long considered Thandie a friend; I’m thankful that I’ve had the chance to make movies with her; and I hope to work with her again in the future.”