Thandie Newton's mixed feelings on 'Star Wars' role

Actress Thandie Newton thinks it is "awful" that she is the first woman of colour to have a leading role in a "Star Wars" movie as it should have happened earlier.

The 45-year-old actress portrays Val in "Solo: A Star Wars Story" and though she thinks it is "great" that she got such a significant part in a major film, she is upset that it has taken so long, reports theguardian.com.

"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," Newton told the Observer magazine.

"I don't feel like I'm an actress for hire any more, in the way that I used to be. I am not a person for hire," she added.

The "Crash" actress has been working on two screenplays, one of which is set in the US and one in the UK and she's very proud of them.

"They are both very personal human stories. I really want to get to the f***ing core of why we do what we do. I certainly don't think that I know, but I love stories that are really trying to find out," said Newton.

--IANS

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