Yahoo News Thandie Newton acknowledges her significant Solo role
Films like 2012, RocknRolla and Norbit were once the calling card for British actress Thandie Newton, but she's successfully moved onto grittier and most recently, starlit pastures.
Speaking to The Guardian, the 45-year-old shares her thoughts on appearing in one of this summer's most anticipated blockbusters, Solo: A Star Wars Story, where she opened up about being the first dark-skinned lead actress in a Star Wars movie.
She said: "I am the first dark-skinned woman in a lead role in the Star Wars legacy, which is both great, that it is finally a correction, and awful, that it's taken this long."
This groundbreaking performance is perhaps a sign of a changing Hollywood system, with the likes of Riz Ahmed and John Boyega also featuring in recent Star Wars outings.
However, Newton remains on the side of caution, adding "Even Lupita Nyong'o's character was CGI" - relating to the character of Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens.
The star's comments come shortly after she showed her support for her fellow co-stars by wearing a dress featuring the action figures of a number of black characters from the franchise - including Finn (John Boyega) Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams and Donald Glover) and Saw Gerrera (Forest Whittaker) - to the Cannes premiere.
And if you're thinking about a visit to your local cinema this month, be sure to catch Ron Howard's bromantic space adventure, you can check out Digital Spy's review right here.
Solo: A Star Wars Story will be released on May 24 in the UK and on May 25 in the US. Book tickets here.
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