Melanie Thandiwe Newton resembles her 16-year-old daughter, The Last of Us actress Nico Parker, whom she shares with her husband, writer-producer-director OI Parker. However, Nico has outgrown her mom’s petite height of 5ft 3 ½ (161.3 cm).
Thandiwe Newton and look-alike daughter Nico Parker at the Reminiscence Los Angeles premiere on August 17, 2021 (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)
In August 2021, the mother-and-daughter tandem had us doing double-takes at the premiere of their new movie, Reminiscence, held at the TCL Chinese Theatre.
While their faces mirror familiarity, Nico towers over Melanie’s petite frame, showcasing a noticeable height disparity (Credit: Mega / WENN)
The neo-noir sci-fi thriller follows Hugh Jackman’s character, Nick Bannister, a private investigator of the mind who uses his reminiscence machine to help people relive specific memories.
Thandie Newton plays Nick’s business partner, Emily Watts, while her daughter, Nico, has a small role as Zoe.
Reclaiming Identity: Thandiwe Newton’s Name Restoration
In her three-decade-long career as an actress, we’ve come to know her as Thandie Newton. But just recently, she reverted to the original Zimbabwean spelling of her first name, Thandiwe (pronounced tan-DEE-way), which she revealed was misspelled in the credits to her 1991 debut film, Flirting.
She told British Vogue: “That’s my name. It’s always been my name. I’m taking back what’s mine.”
Thandiwe Newton reverts to the original Zimbabwean spelling of her first name after being misspelled for three decades (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Glamorous Premiere Fashion: Thandiwe Newton’s Versace Dress
The then-48-year-old actress wore a shimmery silver and gold metallic mini dress from the Atelier Versace Fall 2020 collection for the premiere.
The fringe number has metallic filigree accents and a long yellow sash attached to the one-shoulder strap.
Thandiwe Newton dazzles in a shimmering Atelier Versace fringe dress, her stature elegantly accentuated by her choice in fashion (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Styled by Erin Walsh, Thandiwe accessorized with multiple diamond earrings and a ring.
Looking perfectly put together, she pulled her tresses back into a sleek high ponytail, care of hairstylist Neeko Abriol. Makeup artist Georgie Eisdell accentuated her features with mascara, eyeliner, and dark purple lipstick.
Thandiwe Newton wears a sleek ponytail with dark purple lip color (Credit: Mega / WENN)
She then continued with the sparkly theme of her look as she displayed her feet in Alevi Milano’s “Penelope” heels. From the caged toes to the ankle straps, the heels feature satin straps embellished with hundreds of Preciosa crystal baguettes.
Thandiwe Newton shows off her feet in Alevi Milano Penelope sandals (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)
Her shoes also boast sand-colored satin stiletto heels that are about four inches high.
The Penelope sandal by Alevi Milano is embellished with hundreds of crystal baguettes
Nico Parker: Emerging Style Icon
Meanwhile, her daughter, Nico, who had her breakthrough role as Milly Farrier in the 2019 Disney film Dumbo, was hard to ignore in her blue patterned outfit, also from Versace.
The young actress, styled by Erin Walsh, wore a sleeveless tunic with matching tights featuring red, white, and yellow swirls. Her accessories were kept simple, with just a statement ring.
Nico Parker wears a swirl-patterned tunic dress and matching tights from Versace (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Hairstylist Michael David coiffed her natural curls in a half-up, half-down style while makeup artist Georgie Eisdell glammed her up with emerald green eyeshadow.
Nico Parker glams up with emerald eyeshadow and half-up natural curls (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)
Towering over her mom, Nico rounded out her look with a pair of silver sandals with chunky heels and platforms. While Thandiwe Newton measures 5ft 3 ½ (161.3 cm), her daughter’s height seems significantly taller.
Nico Parker pairs her patterned outfit with silver platform sandals (Credit: Nicky Nelson / WENN)