'Prey' on Hulu: Who is Amber Midthunder? The Native American actress is a part of Fort Peck Sioux Tribe
The newest movie in the ‘Predator’ franchise, titled ‘Prey’, is set to enthrall viewers with a lot of gore and extraordinary horror sequences. Set almost 300 years before the events of the original ‘Predator’ (1987) movie, the movie follows the journey of the Comanche Tribe who dominated the Great Plains of North America and killed animals to feed themselves. One of the tribe’s highly skilled warriors, Naru, can’t seem to kill one of the prey she has been stalking for a while now. However, she soon realizes that the prey she is stalking is not an animal, but a highly advanced alien creature from some other universe.
The movie features a cast almost purely made up of actors comprising Native Americans and First Nations. However, one of the stars that have managed to nab all the attention is none other than Amber Midthunder, who will be playing the lead role of Naru in the movie. The actress has been seen in a number of projects over the years, but this will be the first time that she’ll be playing the lead role.
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All eyes will be on her when the movie arrives on Hulu and if you are one of those who don’t know much about the actress, then we have you covered. So, let’s dig in deeper and get to know more about the young star.
Who is Amber Midthunder? The 25-year-old actress is a member of the Fort Peck Sioux Tribe
Born on April 26, 1997, Amber Midthunder’s entrance into the entertainment industry was not shocking at all because her parents have been an integral part of the industry. Her father, David Midthunder is an actor while her mother, Angelique Midthunder, is a casting director and stunt actor. The actress is a part of the Sioux Tribe which is known for its hunting and warrior culture. The modern tribe consists of two major divisions based on language divisions: the Dakota and Lakota. Today, nearly 100,000 Lakota and Dakota live in the U.S. and 10,000 in Canada.
The Native New Mexican actress made her debut in feature films at the tender age of 4 and had a cameo role in the movie ‘The Homecoming of Jimmy Whitecloud’. However, her first speaking role was at the tender age of 9 and she starred opposite Academy Award winner Alan Arkin in the independent movie ‘Sunshine Cleaning’. On the other hand, she was seen playing the role of Amaya Bishop in the 2009 film ‘Not Forgotten’ alongside Simon Baker and Paz Vega.
After a string of cameo appearances in movies, the actress also made her TV debut with ‘Longmire’ and also appeared on ‘Banshee’, ‘The Originals’, and ‘Dig’. 2016 saw her being a part of the Oscar-nominated movie ‘Hell or High Water’ opposite Jeff Bridges, Chris Pine, and Ben Foster.
Meanwhile, 2017 turned out to be the biggest year for the actress as she was cast as one of the series regulars on ‘Legion’. The actress was featured in all three seasons and received a lot of praise for her acting. While talking about the show, Midthunder told Collider that working on the show was really amazing and she learned a lot about herself. She added, “I think that whole experience, that character, first of all, was so fun, and I learned about myself that with my work I'm very influenced personally by my characters.”
She also played one of the pivotal characters on The CW show ‘Roswell, New Mexico’.
The actress received words of appreciation from iconic actor Liam Neeson while working with her in the movie ‘The Ice Road’. He called her a “fantastic talent” and praised her for her work routine.
‘Prey’ is the first movie that she’ll be playing the lead role in and portrays the character of Naru. Midthunder was really “scared” to be a part of a franchise as big as “Predator” and landed the role by giving the audition “twice”. In a recent interview, she wrote, “I auditioned for this movie, originally, in early 2020, pre-pandemic. Then it disappeared and then it came back. Somebody said this movie is back and I think they want you to audition again. Somebody told me it was ‘Predator’ and I cried. It wasn't even good tears, it was like scared tears. Just at the concept of how big everything I think seemed.”
Amber Midthunder is in a relationship with actor and model River Thomas
As per her Instagram, the actress is currently dating actor and model River Thomas. They keep on sharing cute pictures of them together on their official Instagram accounts. Actor and model River Thomas celebrated Valentine’s Day by wishing her on Instagram, calling her the “best Valentine a man could ask for”.
They both do not shy away from sharing love for each other on social media and upload pictures on their official Instagram profile.
What did the initial reactions to ‘Prey’ say?
The first wave of reactions labeled ‘Prey’ a ‘sharp, worthy, and brutal’ prequel that is filled with extraordinary sequences and a lot of gore. Critics praised Amber Midthunder for her superb acting and called her one of the finest young talents working in the industry right now.
We can’t wait for the movie to arrive on Hulu on August 5 and see Amber Midthunder mesmerize us with her impeccable performance.