Natalia Tena discusses feminism, Molotov Jukebox, and “Game of Thrones” in new interview!

Natalia Tena (Nymphadora Tonks) is no stranger to playing strong, outgoing women in both TV and film, but now she has spoken out about her fight to be treated equally in the showbiz world. Speaking to the Bath Chronicle, Natalia said,

If a man has an achievement, he is respected for it. If a woman gets a success and goes to a premiere, she’s asked where her dress and shoes are from. We definitely don’t have equality yet. I’ve always felt as if I have to be loud; I have to be heard and cannot sit on the fence because of that. A woman is always judged more on what she looks like than what she says or does; that’s the sad truth. I mean, men are looked at too but not to the same extent. Men are taken seriously for the most part, whereas, I believe, there are only a handful of women who are judged solely on their talent.

Although Natalia, who plays strong-willed Tonks in the Harry Potter series, feels that women are still fighting for equality, she makes it very clear that she doesn’t want that fight to be interpreted as “man-hating.”

I don’t want it to come across as if fighting for women’s rights means I’m a man-hater; that’s not the case. I love the company of men; I’m always surrounded by them, by choice. But you only have to look at a film poster to see that the cast is normally made up of more men than women.

Natalia was of course referring to her band, Molotov Jukebox, where she is the only female in the six-piece group. The band is getting ready to perform at the Bath International Music Festival, a 12-day festival commencing on May 15. Commenting on the festival, Natalia said,

What I love about [t]he Bath International Music Festival is that it doesn’t shy away from difference, creativity, or the unusual. It feels like a non-judgemental event where a dynamic mix of male and female performers of all ages and backgrounds can freely express themselves.

Performing is the best feeling, and it’s amazing to be able to visit stunning places whilst doing it. I’m genuinely excited to come to Bath and perform at Komedia; it’s a fantastic pleasure for me and feels like a treat.

Molotov Jukebox is well known for its unusual style of music, with fans branding their sound “Gyp-Step.” Their debut album, Carnival Flower, has been a huge hit with their loyal fans. The album showcases their broad-ranging sound, which features an accordion played by Natalia, a violin, and a trumpet. Speaking of their unique sound, Natalia said,

I would describe our sound as tropical, urban gypsy. It’s pretty visual as well. We’re a bit mad, and we try to mix powerful energy and raw emotion together to form something eclectic. We’re alternative, and we don’t slot easily into radio; we make ‘world’ music [that] is very loud, personal and put-together.

The band is also well known for its signature look:

I realised that image is actually really key; I don’t mean that we all suddenly wanted to look gorgeous and prim and proper, though. ‘Good looks’ [doesn’t] have to mean that you’re stunning; ‘good looks’ to us mean[s] having a signature stamp on our appearance that people can instantly recognise. For us, that image is looking as if we’ve dressed to go out for dinner in a really smart restaurant, and then we’ve ended up tearing through an all-night festival – it’s a ruffled look but not completely scruffy.

Although Natalia is currently touring with Molotov Jukebox, she still has time to dedicate to her acting career. During the interview, Natalia was asked about her most well-known acting roles:

Sometimes I have to pinch myself at the realisation that I’ve been in films as cool as Harry Potter. I got to work with some amazing people; Emma Watson is just brilliant, and I like that she plays a feisty, bossy character who follows her own rules.

Game of Thrones [has] characters like that too – my personal favorite being Brienne of Tarth, who calls to my feminist heart.

Continuing on the topic of feminism, Natalia (who played the Wildling, Osha, in Game of Thrones) described her respect for some of Game of Thrones‘s female characters:

For me, Brienne of Tarth represents what a lot of women feel in a ‘man’s world’, which is ‘to be respected or noticed you have to be 10 times better than a guy.’ She’s kind of a feminist icon, and she’s not your typical ‘beautiful’ woman – which I like because she’s not being represented in an unrealistic way. I also liked that my character in Game of Thrones wasn’t glamorous either; I was always quite happy to always be covered in mud.

You can read the full in interview with Natalia here!

If you want to see Molotov Jukebox at the Bath International Music Festival on May 21, you can buy tickets here. If you can’t make it, don’t worry! Carnival Flower is available to buy here!

Will you be attending the festival? Let us know in the comments!