Biography
Who is May Calamawy?
Early life and education
Born in Bahrain, May El Calamawy grew up in several countries, including Qatar and the United States. Her father is Egyptian, and her mother is Palestinian-Jordanian. She spent significant time living between Doha and Houston before reaching the age of twelve. Although she completed high school in Bahrain, she eventually moved to Boston, Massachusetts, at seventeen to pursue higher education.
She attended Emerson College where she earned a degree in theatre studies. Her father initially encouraged her to study industrial design instead of acting, but she pursued her own path after being accepted to the program. She later honed her craft at the William Esper Studio in New York City.
Career beginnings
Before her breakout, she worked as the manager of a coffee shop in Dubai from 2013 to 2014. Her early acting credits include independent films like the 2006 feature Thursday. She later participated in the New York Arab American Comedy Festival. Between 2009 and 2014, she frequently traveled between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, picking up roles in short films and television pilots.
Her first major film appearance was in the 2013 horror movie Djinn, which was filmed in the United Arab Emirates. During this period, she was credited using her full name, May El Calamawy.
Professional highlights
May Calamawy gained widespread attention starting in 2018 when she was cast as Dena Hassan in the Hulu comedy-drama series Ramy. This role led to further opportunities, including a part in the 2021 comedy Together Together. Her biggest international exposure arrived in 2022 with the Marvel Studios miniseries Moon Knight.
In this production, she portrayed Layla El-Faouly, an archeologist who becomes the Scarlet Scarab. This character is well-known for being the first Arab superhero within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She also provided voice work for the video game NBA 2K21 and appeared in the 2025 thriller The Actor. In 2026, she played Detective Dalia Zaki in the supernatural horror film The Mummy.
Personal details and health
At the age of 22, May was diagnosed with alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition that causes hair loss. She chose to incorporate this experience into the character arc of Dena Hassan during the second season of Ramy. She speaks both English and Arabic and has training in playing the piano.
In 2015, she returned to the United States to focus on her career, eventually moving to London by 2026. Also, she signed an open letter for the Artists4Ceasefire campaign in October 2023, which called for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Birthday and age
May Calamawy was born on October 28, 1986, which makes May 40 years old today. That birthday falls under the Scorpio sign. May shares the date with 63 other famous people.
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