Tonantzin Carmelo
Tonantzín Carmelo is an American actress. Descending on her mother's side from Tongva and Kumeyaay Native Americans of Southern California, she grew up performing in a Native American dance troupe led by her mother, Virginia Carmelo. Branching out into acting during college, she has since appeared in theater productions and independent films. A graduate of UC Irvine. Her acclaimed stage roles include Anita in the play Exmagare, Christina Kahlo/Paula in Frida Kahlo, and multiple characters in Malinche. She is in national commercials and starred in the feature film King Rikki with Jon Seda and Mario López. Carmelo is a traditional Aztec dancer and pre-Columbian musician, recording 3 CDs with Canyon Records. She is an Emerging Voice with the California Indian Storytellers Association and a mentor for the Native Voices Youth Playwright Project. She has recently provided her likeness and voice for the character Kendra Daniels in EA's survival horror video game Dead Space.
Awards and nominations
- On January 5, 2006, she 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.
| Year | Film | Award |
| 2006 | Into the West | Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress Western Heritage Award shared with cast and crew |
| 2007 | Imprint | American Indian Film Festival Award for Best Actress |
Partial filmography
- Undone TV - Tonantzin
- Teen Wolf TV – Skinwalker
- Z Nation TV – Kuruk
- Shadowheart – Miakoda
- Unearthed – Nodin
- Imprint – Shayla Stonefeather
- Into the West – Thunder Heart Woman
- 187 Shadow Lane – Christina
- Dragnet TV – Erika Sanchez
- The Street King – Anita