Lene Cecilia Sparrok

Lene Cecelia Sparrok was a Nordic reindeer herder and actress who broke out in late 2016 with her starring role in the critically acclaimed drama "Sami Blood" (2016). Sparrok was born in Norway, and was of Sami origin (an undefined region that spans the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland), just like her character in "Sami Blood." At the time of "Sami Blood's" release in 2016, not much was known about Sparrok's personal life, aside from the fact that she was plucked from obscurity by the film's director Amanda Kernell to appear in "Sami Blood." Sparrok was of Southern Sami heritage, and grew up speaking South Sami, which is an extremely rare language. As a young girl, Sparrok grew up herding reindeers, which was common of the people in her family. "Sami Blood" is about a young Sami woman who longs to break free from the shackles of her simple life as a reindeer herder and live life on her own terms. Sparrok starred as Elle Marja in the film. Sparrok's sister Mia Erika also played a role in "Sami Blood." When "Sami Blood" premiered in late 2016 it picked up numerous awards on the festival circuit, while Lene Cecelia Sparrok was praised for her honest performance as a young Sami girl. After the film was released, Sparrok returned to her quiet life in Norway as a reindeer herder. She had appeared in no other films by mid-2018 and was unclear as to what her future would be as an actor.