Thandie Newton felt like she was back in college taking a political science class as she spent six weeks preparing for the role of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Oliver Stone's new movie W. "I went through everything. YouTube, Wikipedia, Amazon.com," Thandie recalls about her research. "I had so much work to do. My posture - the way I held my neck, my shoulders - everything was different."

She plays a very different kind of powerful woman in Guy Ritchie's new film RocknRolla, in which she depicts a crooked accountant who manipulates a group of reckless criminals. "The movie is just peppered with characters that you've never seen before. Unique, hilarious, crazy and it's a group of criminals basically who are all being maneuvered by me," Thandie says. She's certainly no stranger to big personalities, having previously shared the screen with Tom Cruise and Will Smith. "You go to work with – the roster!" Rachael notes. "Your husband must not have a jealous bone in his body." Thandie blushes a bit and sweetly says, "We have a good thing going."