I hardly work in UK.. It’s slim pickings for black actors

THANDIE COSTUME SHOW CLAIM Line of Duty star says TV is living in the past

THANDIE Newton claims the UK’s love of costume dramas means there are limited roles available for black actors.

Thandie, 44, recently starred in HBO’s science fiction thriller Westworld and has landed a film role in the as-yet untitled spin-off about Star Wars character Han Solo.

The London-born actress will make her debut in BBC1 crime drama Line of Duty when it returns next Sunday.

She will play Detective Chief Inspector Roz Huntley, who faces investigation by anti-corruption officers.

Thandie said: “I love being here but I can’t work, because I can’t do Downton Abbey, can’t be in Victoria, can’t be in Call the Midwife.

“Well, I could, but I don’t want to play someone who’s being racially abused.

“I’m not interested in that. There just seems to be a desire for stuff about the Royal Family, stuff from the past, which is understandable, but it just makes it slim pickings for people of colour.”

Thandie told how she has fought prejudice throughout her career. She said: “I’m talented at what I do but I’ve had to struggle against racism and sexism. But I’m glad of it, in a way, that I survived and overcame.”

The actress, who has three children with husband Ol Parker, said her casting in Line of Duty wasn’t solely because of her Hollywood pedigree.

She said: “They wanted someone with integrity, someone who does actually stand for the empowerment of women, fighting violence against women.”