Thandie Newton, whose full name Thandiwe means Beloved in some African language, actually gained critical acclaim for portraying Beloved in the Oprah Winfrey-financed Beloved (1998). She is the daughter of a Zambian princess and a well-to-do British father, so it seems like she had all the breaks, which she more or less did. When her family fled Africa during a time of uprising, Thandie decided to try her hand at acting. She was cast in the sleeper flick Flirting (1992), which starred Nicole Kidman and just so happened to feature Thandie's first nude scene. She went on to act in the 2Pac vehicle Gridlock'd (1997), which also happened to feature her in the buff. She continued the carnal trend in The Leading Man (1996) opposite Jon Bon Jovi and In Your Dreams (1997). Just when it seemed she would break out of her pretty-naked-girl roles, Thandie again opted to shed her duds for Besieged (1998) and Beloved, the latter of which featured her only full-frontal shot to date. She went blockbuster with Mission: Impossible II (2000) but failed to gain box-office clout with the disappointing The Truth About Charlie (2002), so there's hope for a return to form for this skinful star. Her body is sweet as Thandie.