My Margaretha Anna Buring Rantapää (born 22 September 1979), known professionally as MyAnna Buring (), is a Swedish-born British actress. Her films include The Descent (2005), Kill List (2011), and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011) and Part 2 (2012). On television, she is known for her roles in the BBC series Ripper Street (2012–2016) and the Netflix series The Witcher (2019–2023).
Early life and education Buring was born My Margaretha Anna Buring Rantapää on 22 September 1979 in Sundsvall, Sweden, and later moved to the Middle East. Her father, Klas, was an orthopaedic consultant and surgeon, while her mother sold fur coats and Christmas trees in Kuwait.
Buring attended secondary school at the American British Academy in Muscat, Oman. As a teenager, Buring temporarily quit school and worked collecting glasses in a Stockholm bar. She then moved to England, where she completed the International Baccalaureate at a boarding school in Oxford. She studied drama and Spanish (though she eventually dropped Spanish) at the University of Bristol, and went on to graduate from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) in 2004.
She was the associate director of the MahWaff Theatre Company.
Career Television In 2006, Buring appeared in "The Impossible Planet", the first episode of a two-episode Doctor Who story. Her character, Scooti, perished in the vacuum of space. Buring also starred as Debbie in Much Ado About Nothing (BBC One), Midsomer Murders (ITV), Casualty (BBC One) and Murder Prevention (Channel 5).
Buring played the role of the CND peace activist and student Adriana Doyle in series 3, episode 2, of Inspector George Gently, which was screened in the UK on BBC One in October 2010. In 2012, Buring had significant supporting roles in the BBC drama serials Blackout and Ripper Street. She also joined the cast of Downton Abbey, playing the role of the maid Edna Braithwaite in the 2012 Christmas special episode and the fourth season. In December 2012, Buring played protagonist Karen Clarke, a woman who is haunted by her past which eventually catches up with her, in a two-part drama called The Poison Tree that was broadcast on ITV1. In 2013, Buring appeared in an episode of NBC's Crossing Lines, playing villainess Anika Hauten. In July 2017, she played the lead role of Manchester police Detective Inspector Helen Weeks in BBC 4-part drama In the Dark.
In 2019, she started playing sorcereress Tissaia de Vries in the Netflix fantasy series The Witcher.
She played the role of Dawn Sturgess in the 2020 mini-series The Salisbury Poisonings. In 2022 she played the role of Kate Carson in the BBC TV drama The Responder.
Film In her first film role, Buring starred in a leading role in the 2005 horror film The Descent, as one of the main characters among the women who ventured down into an uncharted cave system. Buring also appeared in the film's sequel, The Descent Part 2, in the form of flashbacks.
In 2008, Buring starred as Alice in the independent film Credo (also known as The Devil's Curse). Other film roles include Doomsday (2008), Lesbian Vampire Killers (2009), and Kill List (2011).
Buring also played Tanya, the leader of the Denali Coven who are "cousins" of Edward Cullen's family, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011) and Part 2 (2012).
Theatre In 2006, Buring played Olivia in a production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night by Exeter's Northcott Theatre Company, and appeared in a new play, Seduced, at London's Finborough Theatre. For MahWaff Theatre Company, she starred in Guardians, Monologue for an Ensemble and An Inspector Calls.
Buring played the lead as Vera in Mathilde Dratwa's Milk and Gall in South London's Theatre503. The show ran from 2 to 27 November 2021.
Personal life In May 2017, Buring gave birth to a son. In 2022, she opened up about her experience with antenatal depression, but generally prefers to keep the details of her personal life private.
Activism
A 2013 interview with The Herald noted Buring's knowledge of and "interest in the world around her". She is a Women for Women ambassador and became involved with SolarAid in 2014. She is vocal on a number of social issues, such as climate change and the rights of refugees. In light of the Gaza war, Buring was one of over two thousand to sign an Artists for Palestine letter calling for a ceasefire and accusing western governments of "not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them."
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 2005The Descent Sam 2006 The Omen Tabloid Reporter #22007 Grindhouse Featured Woman Segment "Don't" English Language (with English Subtitles) Esther Short film2008 Doomsday Cally Freakdog Shelby Credo Alice2009 The Road to Vengeance Short film Lesbian Vampire Killers Lotte City Rats Sammy The Descent Part 2 Sam 2010 Devil's Playground Angela Half Hearted Lauren Short film2011 Au Revoir Monkeys Anna Way of the Morris Will-O'-Wisps Documentary, voice role Kill List Shel The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Tanya Denali 2012The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 2014 Hyena Lisa Lost in Karastan Chulpan 2015 Hot Property Melody Munro 2016 The Comedian's Guide to Survival Nell 2019 Official Secrets Jasmine Killers Anonymous Joanna 2023 97 Minutes Kim 2025 Last Breath Hanna
Television + Year Title Role Notes 2004 Murder Prevention Michelle Wynne Episode "Last Man Out: Part 1"Casualty Kirsty Morrison Episode "Past Imperfect" 2006 Doctor Who Scooti Manista Episode "The Impossible Planet" 2007The Bill Kim Heyes Episode "Stealth Attack" 2008Midsomer Murders Mandy Episode "Midsomer Life"The Wrong Door Various 5 episodes 2010 Comedy Lab Inga Episode "Filth" Witchville Jozefa Television film Inspector George Gently Adriana Doyle Episode "Peace & Love" Any Human Heart Ingeborg 1 episode 2011 Super Eruption Claire Television film2012 White Heat Lilly 6 episodes Blackout Sylvie Three-part drama 2012–2013 Downton Abbey Edna Braithwaite Series 3 (Christmas special), Series 4 (4 episodes) 2012 The Poison Tree Karen Clarke Two-part drama 2012–2016 Ripper Street Susan "Long Susan" Hart / Caitlin Swift Series regular 2013 Agatha Christie's Marple Lucky Dyson Episode "A Caribbean Mystery" Crossing Lines Anika Episodes "The Animals" and "Desperation & Desperados" 2014 The Great War: The People's Story Dorothy Lawrence Episode: "Reg, Alan, James and Dorothy"2015 Prey Jules Hope Series 2 (3 episodes) Dag Anne Series 4 regular Banished Elizabeth Quinn 7 episodes 2017 In the Dark DI Helen Weeks 4 episodes 2018 One Night Elizabeth NRK series 2019–2023 The Witcher Tissaia de Vries Main role (seasons 1–3) 2020 The Salisbury Poisonings Dawn Sturgess 3 episodes2022 Primal Rikka Voice role, episode "The Red Mist" Count Magnus Froken de la Gardie Television film2022-2024The ResponderKate Carson9 episodes 2024 The Fall: Skydive Murder Plot Victoria Cilliers Documentary2025UnforgottenMelinda RicciSeries 62026Slow HorsesJaneSeries 6
Video games Year Title Role Notes 2016The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Blood and Wine Anna Henrietta 2023 Mia and the Dragon Princess Benicia
Stage Year Title Role Notes 2006 Twelfth Night Olivia Northcott Theatre, Exeter Seduced Finborough Theatre, London 2021 Milk and Gall Vera Theatre503, London 2023 Anthropology Merril Hampstead Theatre, London
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