Tonantzin Carmelo

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). In March 2024, she joined the cast of Dark Winds (AMC) as a recurring guest star. In July 2024, Carmelo began filming NCIS Origins (CBS) in Los Angeles playing the recurring character of Tish Kwa'la, the love of Mike Franks' life.

Early life and education Carmelo grew up in Orange County, southern California and is of Native American (Tongva and Kumeyaay) and Latina descent. As a youth, she participated in Native American 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. Her memorable motion-capture and voice performance portrayal of the villainous character Kendra Daniels for Dead Space led Maxim Magazine to add Kendra to their Hottest Video Game Babes of the Year list. Today, the character continues to attract legions of loyal fans.

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 ActressWestern 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 Notes 2026 Tombs The Lone Woman 2024-2026 NCIS: Origins Tishmal Kwa’ la TV series 2024 Ark: The Animated Series Zitkala / John's Son (voice) TV series 2022 The English Touching Ground TV series 2022–2024 Spirit Rangers Buffalo / Orchids (voice) TV series 2021–2024 La Brea Paara TV series; Recurring role (season 1); Main role (season 2); Guest role (season 3) 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 2022 As Dusk Falls Joyce Walema