Thandiwe Newton has said she wants to “apologise every day to darker-skinned actresses” for not representing them.

Her new film, God’s Country, has been adapted from a short story by James Lee Burke – but has swapped the lead character from an older white man into a black woman.

It centres on a grieving professor (Newton) who confronts two white hunters she catches on her property.

Talking about the film, Newton said though the role allowed her to heal as a black woman, she hesitated taking it because she did not think she was “dark-skinned” enough for the role.

“My internalised prejudice was stopping me from feeling like I could play this role when it’s precisely that prejudice that I’ve received,” she said.

“Doesn’t matter that it’s from African-American women more than anyone else, doesn’t matter. I received prejudice. Anyone who’s received oppression and prejudice feels this character.”

Getting emotional, she added that she “wanted to apologise every day to darker-skinned actresses”.

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“To say, ‘I’m sorry that I’m the one chosen. My mama looks like you. My mom looks like you’,” she said.

“It’s been very painful to have women look like my mom feel like I’m not representing them. That I’m taking from them. Taking their men, taking their work, taking their truth. I didn’t mean to.”

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God’s Country also marks the first project for Newton where she is using her birth name Thandiwe, after years of being known as Thandie in Hollywood.

“I got to change it back, which actually is probably more powerful,” she said. “So I’m glad that they robbed it for a brief, brief couple of decades.

“And I love the fact that it’s God’s Country that is the first project that has my name, you know. Honestly, I was like, this is my last movie… I don’t need to say anything else, really.”

God’s Country debuted at the Sundance film festival, and is awaiting a distribution partner for a full release.

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