Newcomer to the Star Wars universe Thandie Newton is not a stranger to the big screen, but she wasn't really one to be into sci-fi and westerns, or even that keen on doing television.



ICYMI: This new, riveting clip from Solo: A @starwars Story shows us the moment Han meets Thandie Newton's Val and @WoodyHarrelson's Beckett. It doesn't go well.https://t.co/P9txf7K2Bb#StarWars #WoodyHarrelson — The Credits (@TheCredits) May 13, 2018

Yet, over the past 18 months, Newton is now one of the main characters going into Solo: A Star Wars Story and has earned a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Maeve Millay in HBO's sci-fi hit Westworld.

Westworld S2 Picspam

Maeve pic.twitter.com/eSL2uOwccm — Angiememnon (@sirenywitch) May 15, 2018

“I just didn’t see television as being reflective of stories I was interested in,” she says speaking of her role in not only Westworld but in the UK's show Line of Duty. “But I wanted to be home more, and TV was changing, and my agent said: ‘If you want to work in British TV, this is it – Line of Duty.’”

A new character poster of Thandie Newton's Val in 'SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY' has been officially released. (Source: @starwars) pic.twitter.com/2ue0iRDbzP — DiscussingFilm  (@DiscussingFilm) April 23, 2018

Though when asked about the new character she plays in Solo, she had plenty to say about her character.





“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 says of her role of Val, pointing out that though Star Wars has John Boyega and Riz Ahmed in lead roles- there has been no woman of color on the screen as even Lupita Nyong'o's character was completely CGI.

The actress, who's been an advocate for women, sexual harassment, and people of color makes a good point. Though the sci-fi universe is expansive, it's very limited in terms of diversity. Though with the future projects that Lucasfilm have announced, here's hoping for even more racial diversity and opportunities for female leads.