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I first saw Thandie Newton in “Mission Impossible 2,” which was, sadly for her, one of the weaker entries in Tom Cruises’s long running film franchise. The next time I caught her onscreen was as Wilf Smith’s wife in “The Pursuit of Happyness,” a rather downbeat role as a disillusioned wife who, by her own admission, is not equipped to being a ‘single mom’ electing instead to seek work in New York whilst leaving her son in the care of her estranged husband. I haven’t caught up with her in HBO’s “WestWorld,” which is a shame since the original 1973 film was so original in its concept.

In 2017, she portrayed DCI Roz Huntley in the BBC drama series “Line of Duty,” which earned her a nomination for the British Academy Television Award for Best Actress. Exploring the world of police corruption through the actions of the anti-corruption department AC-12, run by zealous Superintendent Ted Hastings, Newton’s performance in Season 4 was outstanding. Her character has the viewer’s sympathy from the “off,” being under pressure to prove herself after taking some time out to be a mother. Focussing on an investigation into a balaclava-wearing serial killer, her character becomes a suspect after her colleague, forensics officer Tim Ifield goes missing. The consequences of her actions, having committed an act of self defence, set her off on the slippery slope to both a custodial sentence and radical surgery, yet throughout the process, she remains an astute and mentally agile Police Officer. Throughout the entire storyline, the London born actress meets the demands of her role with aplomb.