Star Wars newcomer Thandie Newton has said she is the first woman of colour to have a prominent role in the space saga.

The British actress, 45, is in the forthcoming Han Solo spin-off film, although little is known about her part or the plot.

However, she has now teased that her role will be a significant one, telling Radio Times magazine: “I’m the first woman of colour to have a prominent role in the Star Wars legacy.

“There have been others with one line and Lupita Nyong’o was a computer-generated character (The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi), but you didn’t get to see the colour of her skin.

“I’m the first. I’m going to have a toy and everything.

“It’s exciting, but that’s all I can say. It is a big deal.”

The Line Of Duty star will be joined by Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Donald Glover and Emilia Clarke in Solo: A Star Wars Story, which is due to be released in the UK in May.

Newton also stars in science fiction Western TV series Westworld.

“Sci-fi really captures people’s attention like nothing else, but the fans are absolutely bonkers,” she said.

“I took my four-year-old to a park in Los Angeles last year, but I didn’t realise there was a huge Star Wars convention taking place up the road. All these grown-up men dressed as Stormtroopers were riding around on a kids’ train in the park.

“It was the most surreal sight.”

The Radio Times is out on Tuesday.