EastEnders fans are stunned as Kara Tointon makes surprise appearance in new Hunger Games trailer

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Fans of British soap operas spotted a recognizable actor in the trailer for the new Hunger Games movie, Sunrise on the Reaping.

Lionsgate released the first official trailer for the upcoming prequel film this week, giving fans a look at the star-studded cast, including Kieran Culkin, Elle Fanning, and Ralph Fiennes.

But in a blink and you miss it moment, EastEnders legend Kara Tointon, 42, also appeared.

Kara plays Willamae Abernathy in the movie, who is the mother of Haymitch Abernathy, portrayed by Joseph Zara. Woody Harrelson originally played the role in the earlier films.

This new movie is based on Suzanne Collins’ book and takes place 24 years before the original ‘Hunger Games.’ It begins on the day of the 50th Hunger Games, where the son of a character played by Viola Davis is chosen as a competitor.

The trailer shows a quick moment of Kara looking stunned, tightly embracing her young son, Sid Abernathy, while things fall apart in Panem.

EastEnders viewers were excited to see Kara, with one fan tweeting they were ‘shaking’ after spotting Dawn Swann in the trailer for the new Hunger Games movie, calling her a ‘Hollywood Queen!’

‘KARA TOINTON IN THE HUNGER GAMES? Dawn Swann, you’ve come so far!’ cried another. 

Kara became well-known in 2005 after being cast as Dawn Swann on the soap opera EastEnders. Her character was the step-sister of Mickey Miller, played by Joe Swash.

In 2009, Dawn left the soap opera’s Walford neighborhood after finding love with Garry Hobbs (played by Ricky Groves). She sailed away on a canal boat with her daughter, Summer, to start a new life together.

In 2010, Kara won the eighth season of Strictly Come Dancing, partnered with her boyfriend at the time, professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always keeping track of what my favorite actors are up to! You might recognize her from popular shows like Mr Selfridge and The Teacher, but The Hunger Games is actually her first time on the big screen since 2022 – it’s exciting to see what she’s doing next!

In 2025, Kara shared that she’d had a double mastectomy the previous year. She made this known after discovering she carried the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases the risk of breast cancer.

The actress posted a heartfelt message on Instagram explaining her decision, following the death of her mother to ovarian cancer in 2018.

She shared that she had a double mastectomy and also chose to have her fallopian tubes removed to help prevent cancer.

It’s been really tough, as Kara’s surgery happened just six years after losing my dear friend Carol to ovarian disease. It feels like no time at all, and I’m sending all my support to Kara and her family.

The actress, who supports the Eve Appeal – a charity dedicated to raising awareness of cancers affecting women’s reproductive systems – shared that she had genetic testing after her mother’s passing. The tests showed she has a higher risk of developing these cancers.

My family has a history of cancer on both sides, but due to a lot of past trauma – something I can discuss in more detail later – we hadn’t investigated it until recently.

We were tested, and the results showed that both my mother and I have the gene.

As a mother-of-two, Kara told how her family were her main consideration in her decision making.

I remember when I found out I was expecting my first baby, I immediately started thinking about having more kids down the line. Because of that, over the next few years, the NHS invited me to several meetings. They really wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed and understood every possible choice available to me.

After having my second son in 2021 and deciding we were finished having children, I had two preventative surgeries last year.

‘The first a double mastectomy and the second a two part protector study, a trial. 

Researchers now think ovarian cancer often starts in the fallopian tubes. Because of this, removing the fallopian tubes first, and then the ovaries, can be a preventative measure.

After undergoing various medical tests, Kara decided to have surgery as the best course of action.

After learning more about my genetic risks and considering the potential benefits of monitoring my health, including MRIs and biopsies over the past couple of years, I and my family have decided this is the best course of action for me.

It wasn’t an easy choice, but I’m very happy I made it, and now, looking back, I can finally talk about it clearly.

Kara and her partner, Marius, a chiropractor, are raising their two sons, Frey and Helly. The family splits their time between the UK and Norway, where Kara’s sister Hannah and their father reside.

In a recent interview with Weekend Magazine, Kara shared that she feels she’s really coming into her own at 41. She explained that she wants to give her children a happy and normal upbringing, shielded from the intense public attention she’s experienced throughout her life.

She shared that she’s actually enjoying the process of getting older. While she acknowledges it’s something many people struggle with, she feels she’s growing more comfortable with herself and becoming a more complete person.

Many of the challenges people face are due to their life circumstances. Everyone experiences difficult times, and these can occur at any point in life.

To me, experience is about learning how to handle challenges, and ideally, becoming more resilient and capable as a result.

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2026-04-15 11:20