Natalia Tena

Natalia Tena
Tena in 2012
Born	Natalia Gastiain Tena (1984-11-01) 1 November 1984 London, England, UK
Occupation(s)	Actress, musician
Years active	2001–present

Natalia Gastiain Tena (born 1 November 1984) is a British actress and musician. In her acting career, Tena is best known for playing Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter film series, and the wildling Osha in the HBO series Game of Thrones.

Tena at one of her band concerts in 2013

She is the lead of the British band, Molotov Jukebox, as main vocalist and sings while playing the accordion. The band released its new album Carnival Flower in 2014.

Early life

Tena was born in London, the daughter of Spanish parents: María, an Extremaduran secretary, and a Basque father, Jesús, who works as a carpenter. She is fluent in Spanish and Basque. She studied in a boarding school, Bedales.

Career

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.

In 2007, Tena appeared in the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix playing the character Nymphadora Tonks. Tena reprised this role in its sequels Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, in 2009, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 in 2010 and Part 2 in 2011. Tena is best known for playing the role of Nymphadora Tonks due to the widely international success of the series.

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, which she composed while working as a busker on the London Underground.

In 2011 she played a lead role in the Scottish Film You Instead. She also appears as Osha in HBO's Game of Thrones. In March 2013, she starred in the official music video for Lapalux's single "Without You (ft. Kerry Leatham)".

Personal life

Tena learnt the piano from her mother at 5 years old, influenced by Chuck Berry. Afterwards, at 18, Tena moved to London and busked in the Tube. While working with a theatre group called KneeHigh, where they were allowed to pick an instrument to play, Tena decided to learn the accordion. Tena dates her fellow band member, Sam Apley, upon getting to know him through their common interest in a book, Neverwhere. Tena was in a band, Nat Jenkins, but later left to form her own band, Molotov Jukebox with her boyfriend. She is close friends with Oona Chaplin, allowing Chaplin to dye her hair.

Credits

Television

Filmography

Year	Film/TV Show	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 Taylor	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	Ways to Live Forever	Annie
	Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2	Nymphadora Tonks
	You Instead / Tonight You're Mine	Morello
2011–present	Game of Thrones	Osha	TV, 14 episodes
2012	Bel Ami	Rachel
	Shameless	Brenda	TV, 1 episode
	Falcón	Christine Ferrera	TV, 4 episodes
2013	Ambassadors	Tanya	TV
2014	SuperBob	Dorris
2014	10,000 KM	Alex

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

External links

• Natalia Tena at IMDb