How To Train Your Dragon: Why The New Astrid Actor Looks So Familiar

If you're a fan of "How to Train Your Dragon," you may be pleasantly surprised at the changes director Dean DeBlois has made to the classic 2010 animated film (which he also co-directed) for his live-action remake. While the Viking Stoick is once again played by Gerard Butler and the Night Fury dragon Toothless looks virtually the same in both films, DeBlois gets a lot of mileage out of the new actors he casts to take over the roles. In addition to some welcome famous faces like Nick Frost, Julian Dennison, and Peter Serafinowicz, this version of "How to Train Your Dragon" has a pair of new leads in Mason Thames (playing dragon trainer Hiccup) and Nico Parker, who portrays dragon-training student Astrid.

While Parker may not yet be a name star in Hollywood, she's certainly not a total unknown. Although her acting career only began in 2019, she's appeared in several high-profile projects since then, which likely accounts for why she might look so familiar. Chances are that you've seen Nico in something before "HTTYD," whether you're a fan of rom-coms, sci-fi thrillers, family films, or prestige television. If you're an older film and television fan, there's still an additional reason you might recognize her, even if you haven't seen her work before. Here, then, are the reasons why Nico Parker from "How to Train Your Dragon" looks so familiar.

While most actors begin their careers appearing in small roles in obscure films and shows, that hasn't been the case for Parker. Her very first on-screen credit is for 2019's "Dumbo," the live action remake of the classic Disney film, directed by Tim Burton. Nico plays Milly, the daughter of Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell), who is assigned to manage the elephants at a circus, which is how Milly, her family, and others become embroiled in the plight of the titular flying elephant. After that debut, Parker went on to appear as part of the ensemble cast of "The Third Day," an HBO miniseries that did some ambitious things with its folk horror tale, chief among them a 12-hour live streaming event which told a portion of the series in real time.

Parker next turned up in a small role in Lisa Joy's "Reminiscence," a sci-fi noir that starred Hugh Jackman and Thandiwe Newton (more on her in a bit). Though her role was also short-lived in the first season of HBO's "The Last of Us," it still carried with it a significant impact. Parker portrayed Sarah Miller, the daughter of Joel (Pedro Pascal), who meets a tragic and unforgettable fate early in the series. From there, Parker was cast as the lead in the coming-of-age drama "Suncoast," alongside Laura Linney and Woody Harrelson. Earlier this year, she turned up in another supporting role in a franchise film, playing the nanny Chloe in "Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy." Although her turn as Astrid in "How to Train Your Dragon" may be her most prominent role to date, you would've been hard pressed to miss out on seeing Parker on screen at least once in the last several years.

If, however, you happened to miss every film and series that Nico Parker has appeared in up until "How to Train Your Dragon," you may still feel some pangs of familiarity while watching her. That could be because she's the daughter of actress Thandiwe Newton and filmmaker Ol Parker. Newton has been a memorable presence on screens since the early 1990s, appearing in films like "Interview with the Vampire," "Beloved," "Mission: Impossible 2," "Crash," "The Chronicles of Riddick," and "Solo: A Star Wars Story." In 2022, she completed a seven-year run as a lead on HBO's "Westworld" and is due to guest on Netflix's "Wednesday" later this year. Ol Parker, meanwhile, has written several features, most notably "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" and its sequel, "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel," while also writing and directing the smash movie musical "Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again" and the 2022 George Clooney/Julia Roberts rom-com "Ticket to Paradise."

Clearly, Nico Parker has quite the cinematic pedigree in her parents, and if her already impressive resumé is anything to go by, then she's well on her way to matching and perhaps surpassing it. Right now, the actress is filming "Poetic License," the directorial debut of actress Maude Apatow, and if "How to Train Your Dragon" is a hit, then she may be returning as Astrid for a sequel in the near future. No matter what she appears in after that, one gets the sense that Nico Parker is going to look increasingly familiar to audiences, enough that an article such as this will no longer be necessary.