Amber Midthunder

The Legacy of the Casting Offices

Amber Midthunder didn't need to discover her calling through a teenage epiphany. She grew up on film sets and casting rooms in Santa Fe because her parents were already part of New Mexico's industry machinery. Her father is actor David Midthunder, and her mother is casting director Angelique Midthunder.

Film was the family business.

She first appeared on screen in 2001 in a minor role in The Homecoming of Jimmy Whitecloud. She was only four years old. Her real training, however, didn't come from acting schools but from watching her mother select talent for big-budget productions. She learned early that the camera detects a lie before the dialogue does.

In 2008, she appeared in Sunshine Cleaning alongside Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. It was a brief appearance, but it helped her understand the rhythm of a professional production. During those childhood and teenage years, she landed small roles in projects such as Banshee and Longmire.

The Leap into Physically Demanding Roles

In 2017, she landed the role of Kerry Loudermilk in the FX series Legion. It was her first real opportunity to explore a storyline that demanded unusual physical effort. She played a woman who shares a body with an older man, and that duality allowed her to play with choreographed movement and dry, controlled expressiveness.

She shot three full seasons of the series created by Noah Hawley. This experience gave her the skills needed to handle the pace of auteur television. But mainstream recognition still seemed far from the circles of specialized critics.

Then came the chance to lead a major commercial franchise.

In 2019, she joined the cast of Roswell, New Mexico as Rosa Ortecho. For four years, she balanced teen drama with science fiction elements. But while filming mystery storylines in the desert, her name began to generate serious buzz at 20th Century Studios.

The Ultimate Test in the Forest

The year 2022 redefined her standing in the industry with the release of Prey. Dan Trachtenberg was looking for an actress capable of carrying an almost wordless film in which physical confrontation was the only driving force. Midthunder played Naru, a Comanche warrior who must hunt an alien predator across the Great Plains in 1719.

For this role, she went through a four-week training camp in harsh weather conditions. She performed most of her own stunts, including scenes on frozen rivers and axe fights. Critics praised her presence as the most powerful element of a film that revived a franchise that seemed worn out.

But the film's impact went beyond viewership numbers on Hulu. Midthunder became an influential voice for the representation of Native Nations in Hollywood. A member of the Fort Peck Sioux Tribes, she insisted that the Comanche-language dubbing be a priority in the film's distribution.

The gamble paid off.

In 2024, she made the leap into epic fantasy with the Netflix series Avatar: The Last Airbender. She played Princess Yue and proved she could adapt to more colorful, less visceral aesthetics than her previous work. Her presence in the series helped connect with the young audience that watches big-budget fantasy shows.

In 2025, she is set to star in Novocaine, an action film in which she shares the spotlight with Jack Quaid. Filming took place on location in South Africa under the direction of Robert Olsen and Dan Berk. The production has an estimated budget of $30 million and centers on a protagonist who feels no physical pain.