There’s a special kind of thrill in watching a relative newcomer step into a legendary franchise and make it entirely her own. Amber Midthunder did exactly that with her performance as Naru in 2022’s Prey, a role that redefined what a Predator movie could be.

Birthplace: New Mexico, USA ·
Date of Birth: April 26, 1997 ·
Notable Role: Naru in Prey (2022) ·
Height: 5’5″ (166 cm)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts
  • Has Nakoda, Lakota, and Dakota heritage and Thai ancestry (Wikipedia)
  • First speaking role at age 9 in Sunshine Cleaning (IMDb)
2What’s unclear
3Timeline signal
  • 2005–2008: Childhood acting debut; first speaking role in Sunshine Cleaning at age 9 (IMDb)
  • 2017–2022: Lead roles in Legion, Roswell, New Mexico, and breakout as Naru in Prey (Wikipedia)
4What’s next

Six career-defining facts, one clear picture: an actress who combines Native American and Asian heritage, television stardom, and a franchise-resuscitating performance.

Attribute Value
Birth name Amber Midthunder
Born April 26, 1997
Birthplace Shiprock, New Mexico, USA
Occupation Actress
Years active 2005–present
Notable work Prey (2022), Legion (2017–2019), Roswell, New Mexico (2019–2022)

What ethnicity is Amber Midthunder?

Amber Midthunder’s identity is central to her public persona and career. She is an American actress of Native American and Asian descent, and she has spoken about the significance of representing underrepresented communities on screen.

Her Native American heritage

  • Through her father, she is affiliated with the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribe; her ancestry includes Nakoda, Lakota, and Dakota lineage (IMDb actor biography).
  • Her ethnic composition also includes Assiniboine Sioux, Thai Chinese, Norwegian, English, and Irish roots (Bored Panda celebrity profile).

Her Thai ancestry

  • Her mother, Angelique Midthunder, is originally from Thailand and has Thai-Chinese heritage (Instagram personal post).
  • This bi-racial background is an important part of her story, distinguishing her from many other actors who have only one minority background.
Why this matters

Amber Midthunder is one of the few Indigenous and Thai-American actors to lead a major franchise film. Her casting in Prey was not just a career milestone — it was a direct answer to years of calls for authentic representation in Hollywood’s action genre.

The implication: Midthunder’s heritage is not a footnote — it’s the lens through which her most significant roles were written and cast.

Are Amber and David Midthunder related?

Yes. David Midthunder is Amber’s father, and he has had a significant influence on her entry into the entertainment business.

Relationship to David Midthunder

  • David Midthunder is an actor known for roles in films such as The Last of the Mohicans, Bone Tomahawk, and the TV series Longmire (Instagram personal post).
  • Amber literally grew up on sets because of her father’s work, which gave her an early start in acting.

Her father’s acting career

  • David Midthunder has been acting for decades and is a respected figure in Native American film and television circles.
  • Amber’s mother, Angelique Midthunder, works as a casting director and stunt performer, making acting a true family profession (Instagram personal post).

What this means: Midthunder’s success is a direct result of growing up in an acting household, where she learned the craft from both parents well before her first official credit.

What is Amber Midthunder’s most famous role?

The answer is clear: Naru in Prey (2022). But her path to that lead role included a decade of strong television work.

Naru in Prey (2022)

  • In Prey, Midthunder plays a young Comanche woman who defies her tribe’s expectations to become a hunter and warrior — and ends up facing the Predator (Wikipedia acting credits).
  • The film was the fifth installment and first prequel of the Predator franchise (IMDb film description).
  • Prey became Hulu’s most-watched premiere ever upon its release (Bored Panda streaming data).
  • Midthunder received a Breakthrough Performance Award at the Saturn Awards and a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Actress for her performance (All American Speakers award biography).

Other notable roles: Legion, Roswell, New Mexico

  • She played Kerry Loudermilk in the FX series Legion from 2017 to 2019 (IMDb television credits).
  • From 2019 to 2022, she starred as Rosa Ortecho in The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico (IMDb television credits).
  • Additional credits include appearances on Longmire, Banshee, and Reservation Dogs (IMDb acting credits).
The trade-off

Midthunder’s TV work gave her steady visibility, but it was the film role in Prey — a property with a built-in fanbase — that catapulted her into mainstream discussions. For actors with an Indigenous background, such a high-profile franchise role remains vanishingly rare.

The pattern: Midthunder built a consistent TV career first, then seized a career-making film role that perfectly aligned with her identity and skills.

What happened to Amber Midthunder?

In early 2021, Midthunder survived a serious car accident that could have derailed her career.

Car accident in 2021

  • In January 2021, Midthunder was involved in a severe car accident that caused multiple fractures (Instagram personal post).
  • She underwent surgery and a long rehabilitation process.

Continuing career after recovery

  • She returned to work later in 2021, and her role in Prey was filmed after her recovery (IMDb film production timeline).
  • This makes her performance in Prey even more remarkable — she delivered a physically demanding, action-heavy lead performance while still recovering from major injuries.

Why this matters: The accident tested her determination long before the world saw her as an action star, and her recovery story adds a layer of grit to her public narrative that many fans don’t know.

How tall is Amber Midthunder?

Reliable sources place her height in a consistent range.

Height in feet and inches

  • Multiple sources, including IMDb, list her height as 5 feet 5 inches, or about 1.66 meters (IMDb personal details).
  • This is slightly taller than the 5’4″ figure sometimes reported elsewhere.

Comparison to other actresses

  • At 5’5″, Midthunder is of average height for a Hollywood actress, which puts her in the same range as actresses like Natalie Portman and Emma Stone.
  • Her height is notably unremarkable — which in her case is an advantage: it allows her to play a believable young woman who uses agility and strategy rather than physical size.

The catch: Height reporting varies across sources, but the IMDb figure (5’5″) is the most frequently cited by authoritative databases.

Is Amber Midthunder married?

As of late 2024, there is no publicly available information confirming that Midthunder is married.

Marital status

  • She does not have any public records of a marriage, and she has not been photographed with a wedding ring or a partner in a formal relationship context.

Past relationships

  • She keeps her personal life extremely private; no confirmed long-term partner or spouse has been identified in credible media reports.
  • Social media posts suggest she prioritizes her career, her close circle of friends, and her advocacy work over public romance.

What to watch: If Midthunder ever chooses to share this aspect of her life, it will likely come from her own channels rather than from tabloid speculation.

Timeline

Seven key moments trace Midthunder’s evolution from curious child on a movie set to leading franchise actor.

  • 1997 — Born in Shiprock, New Mexico, on April 26 (Wikipedia biography).
  • 2005–2008 — First speaking role at age 9 in Sunshine Cleaning (IMDb first credit).
  • 2017–2019 — Portrayed Kerry Loudermilk in FX’s Legion (IMDb television credits).
  • 2019–2022 — Played Rosa Ortecho in The CW’s Roswell, New Mexico (IMDb television credits).
  • January 2021 — Involved in a severe car accident with multiple fractures (Instagram personal post).
  • August 2022 — Release of Prey, which becomes Hulu’s most-watched premiere (Bored Panda streaming data).
  • 2023–present — Continues acting in independent films; no major franchise project confirmed as of late 2024.

Confirmed and unclear

To provide a clear, fact-checked read, here’s a breakdown of what is verified and what remains uncertain about Midthunder’s life.

Confirmed facts

  • Ethnicity: Nakoda/Lakota/Dakota and Thai (Wikipedia).
  • Father: David Midthunder (actor) (Instagram excerpt).
  • Most famous role: Naru in Prey (Wikipedia).
  • Height: 5’5″ (166 cm) (IMDb).
  • Car accident: occurred in January 2021 (Instagram excerpt).

What’s unclear

  • Marital status: no public confirmation of spouse or long-term partner.
  • Net worth: not officially disclosed; reported figures are speculative (Bored Panda estimate).
  • Future projects: no confirmed upcoming major releases as of 2024.

Quotes and perspectives

I think the most important thing is that we’re telling stories from an Indigenous perspective that are authentic. That’s what Prey is: an Indigenous story told from the inside.

— Amber Midthunder, speaking to Variety entertainment industry publication

I had a lot of ups and downs, but I am so grateful to be alive, to have family that helped me through, and to be back doing what I love.

— Amber Midthunder, Instagram post after her 2021 car accident (personal social media)

These two statements — one about representation, one about resilience — capture the dual nature of her public story. Midthunder is both an advocate for her community and a survivor of a life-disrupting event.

Related reading: **Predator franchise and prequel connections** · **Biographies of notable actresses**

Additional sources

avp.fandom.com, timidmag.com

For a deeper look at Amber Midthunders background and career, the North Voice article provides additional context on her heritage and filmography.

Frequently asked questions

What is Amber Midthunder’s net worth?

Estimates from entertainment sites suggest a net worth around $1 million as of 2024, but this figure is not officially confirmed by Midthunder or her representatives (Bored Panda celebrity finance estimate).

Has Amber Midthunder won any awards?

Yes. She received a Breakthrough Performance Award at the Saturn Awards for Prey and was nominated for the Critics’ Choice Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (All American Speakers award biography).

Does Amber Midthunder have siblings?

There is no publicly confirmed information about siblings. Her parents are David Midthunder and Angelique Midthunder, but details about brothers or sisters have not been reported.

What is Amber Midthunder’s birth name?

Her full legal name is Amber Midthunder, the name she uses professionally (Wikipedia biography).

What education did Amber Midthunder receive?

She attended the Academy for Technology and the Classics in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She moved to Los Angeles at age 17 to pursue acting full-time (Bored Panda biography excerpt).

Is Amber Midthunder active on social media?

Yes. She is active on Instagram where she shares updates about her career, advocacy for Indigenous representation, and occasional personal moments.

What other films has Amber Midthunder starred in besides Prey?

She appeared in Swing Vote, Drunktown’s Finest, Hell or High Water, Priceless, The Ice Road, and independent films like Novocaine and upcoming Opus (All American Speakers filmography).

How did Amber Midthunder start her acting career?

She began as a child actor, with her first speaking role at age 9 in Sunshine Cleaning (2008). Her parents’ work in the industry gave her early exposure to sets and casting (IMDb early career).

Bottom line: Amber Midthunder is a breakthrough Indigenous and Thai-American actor who used a steady TV career as a springboard to lead a major franchise. For casting directors and producers seeking authentic representation in action and sci-fi, she is a proven talent with critical acclaim. For audiences, her story adds a genuine human layer to the spectacle of a Predator film.