Natalia Tena’s portrayal of Nymphadora Tonks in the “Harry Potter” series had Potterheads wishing she had more screen time. The British actor officially joined the cast of the beloved series in the fifth installment, “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” and went on to make appearances in both parts of the final film. While her appearances were brief, her impact was undeniable. To this day, fans look back on Tena’s role in the films fondly and are united in the belief that no one could have brought the eccentric character to life better. Despite all their love for Tena, they may not recognize her in photos from February 2026.
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The most noticeable departure from her appearance in the final movie in 2011 is her hair. We are so used to seeing her in character, rocking colored hair with an edgy haircut that it takes a second to adjust to her gorgeous black tresses and her modern, voluminous hairstyle. While we may have grown to know and love Tena by Tonks’ signature aesthetic, it was once a point of contention between her and the team of “Harry Potter.”
Speaking to the Telegram & Gazette in 2007, Tena shared that she was initially frustrated with the film’s team because they refused to abide by the books and let Tonks have pink hair, fearing that the color was too closely associated with the antagonist of the fifth film, Dolores Umbridge. Tena was also disappointed when they subdued her character’s punk aesthetic in the final movies because she knew the fans wouldn’t appreciate that. Still, she had nothing but love for Tonks as she moved on from “Harry Potter.”
Natalia Tena expanded her horizons after Harry Potter
Shortly after Natalia Tena’s work on “Harry Potter” ended, she made her mark on another fantasy series: “Game of Thrones.” The British actor became a part of the popular HBO series in 2011, playing the role of Osha. There, she got to work alongside a celebrity who pushed their bleached-blond hair too far and plenty of other celebrities who are even more gorgeous in real life. Tena also made brief appearances in other popular series like “Black Mirror,” the U.K. version of “Shameless,” and “The Mandalorian.”
As the years went by, she leaned into her Spanish roots and lent her acting talents to “The Platform 2” and “El Mal.” Tena also went down a rather unconventional path for an actor and became an accordionist for a band called Molotov Jukebox. During a 2015 interview with the Bath Chronicle, she shared that fashion was integral to music, saying, “For us, [our signature] image is looking as if we’ve dressed to go out for dinner in a really smart restaurant, and then we’ve ended up tearing through an all-night festival — it’s a ruffled look but not completely scruffy” (via MuggleNet).
While touring with the band over the years, Tena donned plenty of eye-catching floral prints and seemed particularly obsessed with flower crowns, which are essential to many cottagecore hairstyles that complete a dreamy look. Although Tena has undoubtedly come a long way since her “Harry Potter” days, she still has a soft corner for it in her heart. In a June 2023 Screen Rant interview, she shared that she would love to return to HBO’s reboot of the series in the role of a teacher.