Why Osha from Game of Thrones looks familiar? Here's where you have seen the star before

̧In case you are a fan of Game of Thrones, and you did a double-take upon seeing the fierce wildling Osha guard the Stark children, you are not alone. The British actress who portrays the character, Natalia Tena, has had an incredible career in various popular franchises in contemporary entertainment.

Natalia Gastiain Tena was born on November 1, 1984, in Camden, London, to Spanish immigrants. She has appeared on numerous blockbuster series and movies, from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to the dark underworld of John Wick.

Tena has played the role of the wildling Osha in HBO’s Game of Thrones between 2011 and 2013, and made a few short appearances in 2016. Her character is of a spearwife from north of the Wall, who became a guardian to Brandon and Rickon Stark when Game of Thrones experienced some of the most turbulent points.

Why Osha from Game of Thrones looks familiar?

Tena had already won the hearts of millions of people in the Harry Potter film series, playing the role of Nymphadora Tonks, before she ever set foot in Game of Thrones. Starting with Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2007, Tena played the pink-haired Auror with infectious power and charisma. She would repeat this role in three later films: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010), and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011).

The Harry Potter Wiki states that Tena had not read the Harry Potter books or watched the movies until she auditioned, arrived late and sweaty, and fell into a table, although director David Yates saw in her the energy he needed in Tonks. This apparently catastrophic audition became one of the most popular ones in the franchise.

Tena entered the world of acting in a rather unusual way. Wikipedia states that she was spotted smoking at school, prompting a teacher to encourage her to get into acting, which led to her debuting as Ellie in the 2002 film About a Boy. The Nick Hornby adaptation, which starred Hugh Grant, featured Tena (credited as Nat Gastiain Tena) as the nonconformist, rebellious daughter who becomes the friend of the young protagonist Marcus. It was a minor part, but it was a demonstration of the identical raw, natural force that would make her her mark.

Tena added another notch to her franchise qualifications when she became a part of the Star Wars universe. In The Mandalorian episode The Prisoner, Tena was virtually unrecognizable as Xi’an, a Twi’lek mercenary who betrays the titular character. The job involved a lot of prosthetics, such as the typical head-tails of the species known as lekku, yet Tena shone through the make-up.

According to ComingSoon, Tena revealed in an interview that she would like to be a part of The Mandalorian once more, recalling that she had fun shooting on Manhattan Beach at the beginning of 2019 and that she enjoyed the fancy costume.

Tena most recently gave a memorable performance in John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023) as Katia, who is described as John Wick’s adoptive sister or a sister figure in the Ruska Roma organization. SlashFilm describes Tena as having prison tattoos and as a leader of the Ruska Roma assassins, which adds a matriarchal touch to the criminal world of the film.

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In addition to blockbuster franchises, Tena has shown great diversity in television. In 2014, she starred on the Black Mirror Christmas special White Christmas, as a mentally unstable woman named Jennifer, who has a tragic murder-suicide plotline. The show featured the strength of Tena in dealing with more complex, darker musical content.

She has also featured in the 2015 British miniseries Residue as Jennifer Preston and in the science fiction series Origin on YouTube Premium as Lana Pierce. In 2017, Tena appeared as Sara Morten in the drama Wisdom of the Crowd on CBS, adding variety to her television resume.

Tena has continued to have an active presence in independent cinema amid major franchise appearances. In 2011, she starred in the Scottish romantic film You Instead (also known as Tonight You’re Mine), filmed within five days at Scotland’s T in the Park music festival. The film made use of Tena’s musical proficiency.

In 2014, she appeared in the Spanish film 10,000 Km (Long Distance), about a long-distance relationship set between Barcelona and Los Angeles. Other credits include Anchor and Hope with Game of Thrones alumna Oona Chaplin, and more recently, The Platform 2.

What most fans are not aware of is that Tena is also a successful musician. She is the lead singer and accordionist of Molotov Jukebox. In 2014, the band released their first album, Carnival Flower, and in 2016, their second studio album, Tropical Gypsy.

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