- Natalia Tena
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Natalia Tena 
Natalia Tena, 24 May 2008Born Natalia Gastiain Tena
1 November 1984
Surrey, EnglandOccupation Actress, musician, producer, director Years active 2001–present Natalia Gastiain Tena[1] (born 1 November 1984) is a British actress and musician. She sings and plays the accordion in the band Molotov Jukebox. In her acting career, Tena is best known for playing Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series, and Ellie in the movie About a Boy.
Contents
Life and career
Tena was born in Surrey, the daughter of Spanish parents María, a secretary, and Jesús, a carpenter.[2] She is fluent in Spanish.[3]
Tena made her professional debut as Ellie in About a Boy (2002), and began acting full time in 2003. She has played lead roles in stage adaptations of Gone to Earth in 2004, and Nights at the Circus in 2006.
She appeared in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix as Nymphadora Tonks, a role she reprised in its sequels Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 and Part 2. She claims that attending the audition was a spur-of the-moment decision, which she thought was for an extra rather than a relatively big part. Having enjoyed a glass of red wine shortly prior to cycling to the audition, she tripped over a table and chair on arrival giving the impression that she is clumsy (which she admits to being), a prominent character trait of Tonks.
She hosted a behind-the-scenes featurette entitled "Trailing Tonks" for the subsequent DVD and Blu-ray release, and is credited as producer and director of the featurette, in which she also performs an original Christmas-themed blues song on guitar, claiming to have composed it while working as a busker on the London Underground.[4]
In July 2010, it was confirmed that Tena had been cast in the role of Osha in the HBO series Game of Thrones.[5]
Credits
Filmography
Year Film Role Notes 2002 About a Boy Ellie 2005 Doctors Amy Emerson TV, 1 episode The Fine Art of Love: Mine Ha-Ha Vera Mrs Henderson Presents Peggy 2006 Afterlife Gemma TV, episode 2.5 – "Mirrorball" 2007 Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Nymphadora Tonks 2008 Lecture 21 Thomson 2009 Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Nymphadora Tonks Womb Rose 2010 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Nymphadora Tonks 2011 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Bel Ami Rachel Game of Thrones Osha TV, 4 episodes You Instead Morello Film Stage
Year Production Role Notes 2004 Gone To Earth Hazel Shared Experience/ UK tour 2005 Bronte Cathy/ Bertha Mason 2006 Nights at the Circus Fevvers Kneehigh Theatre/UK tour 2008 The Clean House Matilde UK tour 2009 Othello Desdemona Royal Shakespeare Company/ UK tour References
- ^ Births, Marriages & Deaths Index of England & Wales, 1916-2005.; at ancestry.com
- ^ "NATALIA TENA EL EMBRUJO DEL FÉNIX" Nuevo Herald - 13 July 2007
- ^ "Spanish actress lands role in 'Potter' film" 14 July 2007, Telegram.com
- ^ "Trailing Tonks" (2007), a featurette on the DVD release of Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
- ^ George R.R. Martin's blog
External links
Categories:- 1984 births
- English film actors
- English people of Spanish descent
- English stage actors
- English television actors
- Living people
- Old Bedalians
- Royal Shakespeare Company members
- Shakespearean actors
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