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Tonantzin Carmelo
Tonantzin Carmelo Academy 9-2021 (cropped).jpg
Tonantzin Carmelo in 2021
Born 1976 (age 47–48)
Occupation Actress

Tonantzin Carmelo is an American actress. She is known for her acting roles in film, TV and stage productions including in the Steven Spielberg miniseries, Into the West, for which she received a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Television Movie or Miniseries.

In 2021, Carmelo filmed roles in Spain and Australia for the television series The English (BBC) and La Brea (NBC).

Early life and education

Carmelo grew up in Orange County, southern California and is of Indigenous and Latina descent. As a youth, she participated in Native dances and music, touring with cultural groups throughout North America. She also became a technically trained dancer and performed with the modern dance company Daystar.

Carmelo attended the University of California, Irvine, where she earned a bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies and a minor in Dance. While in college, she began acting in theater productions and independent films.

Career

Carmelo began her professional acting career in an educational musical theater show produced by Carmen Zapata at the Bilingual Foundation of the Arts. The production toured the Los Angeles area.

In 2007, Carmelo played the leading role of Shayla Stonefeather in the thriller Imprint.

In addition, Carmelo is a choreographer. Her work was featured in the Amazon TV series, Undone, and in the opera, Sweetland. She has also performed as a singer with the band Trio del Alma and has recorded on three albums for Canyon Records.

In 2012, Carmelo testified for the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on the images of Native Americans in Hollywood.

Carmelo has also appeared in several video games, including Dead Space, The Crew, Lego Marvel's Avengers, and Cyberpunk 2077.

She has had an ongoing relationship with Native Voices at the Autry Museum in Los Angeles, where she has performed on stage and has served on the advisory board.

She is a member of the Tongva Language Committee for Revitalization.

Awards and nominations

On January 5, 2006, Carmelo was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries for her performance as Thunder Heart Woman in Into the West.

Carmelo also won the American Indian Film Festival award for Best Actress and was nominated for the Best Actress award at the Hoboken International Film Festival for this role. She was also named "An Indie Darling to Crave" at the Sundance Film Festival 2015 for her role as Teresa, opposite John C. Reilly in the film Entertainment. Below is a list of her awards and nominations.

Awards
Year Film Award
2012 Shouting Secrets FirstGlance Award for Best Ensemble Cast
2008 Imprint Hoboken International Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2007 Imprint American Indian Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2006 Into the West Outstanding Actress Performance in a TV Movie/Special (Lead)
2006 Into the West Western Heritage Award, Bronze Wrangler
Nominations
Year Film Nomination
2011 Shouting Secrets Nominated - American Indian Film Festival Award for Best Actress
2006 Into the West Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress
Western Heritage Award shared with cast and crew
2006 Into the West Nominated – Gold Derby TV Award, TV Movie/Mini Supporting Actress
2005 Into the West Nominated – OFTA Television Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries

Filmography

Film and Television
Year Title Role Type
2022 The English Touching Ground TV series
2021–present La Brea Paara Recurring role (season 1); Main role (season 2)
2020 El Camino de Xico Carmen
2020 A Soldier's Revenge Alpana
2019 Undone Tonantzin TV series
2019 The Chosen One Dr. Lúcia Santiero (English voiceover) TV series
2019 The Son Nascha TV series
2018 Z Nation Kuruk TV series
2018 Animal Kingdom Anna TV series
2018 White Fang Film (voiceover)
2016 Teen Wolf Skinwalker / Black Night TV series
2015 Entertainment Teresa
2014 Child of Grace Kaya
2014 The Activist Anna Ward
2011 Periphery Isabella
2011 Shouting Secrets Caitlyn
2010 American Dad! Sooleawa'uha (voice) Episode: "There Will Be Bad Blood"
2010 Red Carpet Report Herself TV series short
2009 Shadowheart Miakoda Video
2009 Dark Blue Gina TV series
2009 American Experience Awashunk TV series documentary
2007 Unearthed Nodin
2007 CSI: Miami Adrienne Veston TV series
2007 Imprint Shayla Stonefeather
2005 Into the West Thunder Heart Woman TV mini series
2003 Dragnet Erika Sanchez TV series
2003 187 Shadow Lane Christina
2002 King Rikki Anita

Video games

Year Title Role Note
2008 Dead Space Kendra Daniels
2014 The Crew Roxanne
2016 Lego Marvel's Avengers Maya Lopez / Echo
2020 Cyberpunk 2077 Joss Kutcher
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