MyAnna Buring: Biography, Career, and Notable Roles

Few actors can claim to have faced off against crawlers, vampires, and scheming aristocrats with equal conviction — but MyAnna Buring makes it look effortless. From the claustrophobic caves of The Descent to the halls of Downton Abbey and the magical continent of The Witcher, her filmography spans genres audiences love to revisit.

Born: 22 September 1979 ·
Birthplace: Sundsvall, Sweden ·
Nationality: Swedish-British ·
Occupation: Actress ·
Years active: 2004–present

Seven key facts, one pattern: MyAnna Buring’s career is built on a mix of early theatre training, a breakout horror hit, and recurring roles in major franchises.

What is MyAnna Buring famous for?

Film roles

• Her first major film break came in 2005 as Sam in The Descent, a horror hit that remains a cult favourite (Apple TV).
• She played Tanya, a member of the Denali coven, in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 (2011) and Part 2 (2012) (Rotten Tomatoes).
• In 2011 she starred in the critically praised thriller Kill List (Rotten Tomatoes).

Television roles

• She joined Downton Abbey in Series 3 (2012) as Edna Braithwaite, a maid with a manipulative streak, and returned for four episodes of Series 4 (Downton Abbey Wiki).
• On Ripper Street (2012–2016), she played Long Susan, a role that became one of her most recognised television performances (Wikipedia).
• She appeared as a wildling in Game of Thrones (2013) (Wikipedia).
• From 2019 to 2023, she portrayed Tissaia de Vries, the powerful rectoress of Aretuza, in Netflix’s The Witcher (Wikipedia).

Theatre work

• Beyond screen, Buring is an associate director of the MahWaff Theatre Company, an independent theatre collective based in the UK (IMDb).

The implication: Buring’s versatility across genres ensures she remains a sought-after character actress.

What is MyAnna Buring’s ethnicity?

Her background

MyAnna Buring was born in Sundsvall, Sweden to a Swedish mother and an English father (Rotten Tomatoes). She spent much of her childhood in the Middle East — living in Oman, Dubai, and Yemen — because of her father’s work as an expatriate (Apple TV). Her ethnicity is therefore mixed Swedish and English. She attended the American British Academy in Muscat, Oman before moving to England at age 16 (Rotten Tomatoes).

The pattern: A transnational background often correlates with the ability to inhabit diverse roles authentically.

Who did MyAnna Buring play in Downton Abbey?

Character details

MyAnna Buring played Edna Braithwaite, a lady’s maid who arrives at Downton Abbey in Series 3 and quickly reveals a scheming side. She attempts to seduce and manipulate Tom Branson, the former chauffeur turned estate manager (Downton Abbey Wiki).

Storyline impact

Edna’s arc extended into the first four episodes of Series 4, where her manipulations are eventually exposed and she is dismissed. The role gave Buring a chance to play a morally complex antagonist within the show’s usually genteel world (Downton Abbey Wiki).

What this means: Even in a small part, Buring left a lasting impression on the show’s audience.

Is MyAnna Buring married?

Personal life privacy

MyAnna Buring keeps her personal life very private. There is no public confirmation of a marriage, a long-term partner, or children. She has not disclosed her marital status in interviews, and no reliable source has reported on a spouse or partner (Wikipedia).

The implication: This privacy is consistent with her focus on craft over celebrity.

How tall is MyAnna Buring?

Height in feet and meters

Various online sources list her height at approximately 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) (IMDb). However, the actress has never officially confirmed this measurement, and it should be treated as an unsourced estimate.

The catch: Physical stats remain one of the few trivial gaps in an otherwise well-documented public profile.

What we know and what remains unclear

“MyAnna Buring is a Swedish-born actress with a filmography spanning both film and television.”

Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator)

“She is best known on television for Ripper Street and The Witcher.”

Wikipedia (open encyclopedia)

The implication: MyAnna Buring’s career is a case study in genre-hopping without a safety net. She has avoided being pigeonholed, but that also means she hasn’t built a single “signature” role — her fame is distributed across several fan communities. For audiences, that makes her discovery a small pleasure: you’ve probably seen her before, even if you didn’t know her name.

Frequently asked questions

The pattern: The balance of known and unknown facts only adds to her mystique.