Hera Hilmar

Hera Hilmar, born Hera Hilmarsdóttir on December 27, 1988, in Reykjavík, Iceland, began her career as a child actor in 1995. The daughter of film director Hilmar Oddsson and actress Thórey Sigthórsdóttir, she developed an early connection to the film industry. She pursued formal training at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, graduating in 2011, establishing a foundational base for her professional work in both Icelandic and international productions.

Her career progression includes notable roles such as Vanessa in the television series “Da Vinci’s Demons” (2013-2015) and Hester Shaw in the 2018 film “Mortal Engines.” Early recognition in her home country included a nomination for an Edda Award in 2007 for “The Quiet Storm.” She later received two Edda Awards for Actress of the Year; for her work in “Life in a Fishbowl” in 2015 and for “The Oath” in 2017. Hilmar was also recognized internationally as one of Europe’s Shooting Stars at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2015, and earned a special mention at the Zurich Film Festival for “Life in a Fishbowl.”

More recently, Hilmar has been a cast member in significant productions like “The Romanoffs” (2018) and “See” (2019-2022) where she played Maghra, the wife of Baba Voss, portrayed by Jason Momoa. Her filmography further includes roles in “Anna Karenina” (2012), “The Ottoman Lieutenant” (2017), and “An Ordinary Man” (2017). She continues to work on both films and television projects, with upcoming roles in “Kennedy” and “Turbulence,” maintaining a steady presence in the industry. During the pandemic, she collaborated with The Icelandic Film Centre on short films and has provided narration for projects such as a video revealing the new national Icelandic football team crest.