Melanie Thandiwe "Thandie" Newton is an English actress. She has appeared in several British and American films and is known for roles such as the title character in Beloved, Linda in The Pursuit of Happyness, Nyah Nordoff-Hall in Mission: Impossible 2, Christine in Crash, for which she received a number of awards, including a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role and Kate Thomas in Norbit.