May Calamawy

May El Calamawy[1][2] (Arabic: مي القلماوي, Egyptian Arabic pronunciation: [mˤɑjj (el) ʔælæmæːwiː];[5] born October 28, 1986)[2][3][4] is a Bahraini-born,[2][6] Egyptian-Palestinian actress[4][1][7][8] who currently works and resides in the United States.[9][2][4] She is known for her roles in the American television series Ramy as Dena Hassan,[10] and Moon Knight as Layla El-Faouly.[7]

May Calamawy
Calamawy in 2019
Born
May El Calamawy[1][2]

(1986-10-28) October 28, 1986[3][4]
Bahrain[2]
Alma materEmerson College (BA)
OccupationActress
Years active2006–present
Notable work

Early life

Calamawy was born in 1986 in Bahrain to an Egyptian father who worked as a banker in the Gulf state and the US,[2] and a Palestinian-Jordanian mother.[2][4] She also lived in Doha, Qatar, and Houston, Texas.[2] Calamawy is bilingual, as she speaks both English and Arabic.[2]

She was inspired to become an actress after watching the 1992 film Death Becomes Her.[4][11]

Calamawy completed high school in Bahrain, and moved to Boston, Massachusetts to study industrial design because her father wanted her to.[2] She lived in Dubai for five years before moving back to the United States to pursue an acting career.[9] She applied to Emerson College and told her parents "if I get in, I'm going." She was accepted and has a B.A. in theatre studies from Emerson College. Calamawy has also studied at the William Esper Studio in New York City.[8]

Career

Calamawy started her career acting in short films and used to be credited with her full name, May El Calamawy.[2][1] She later changed it to May Calamawy.[12] After attending college, she participated in the New York Arab American Comedy Festival.[2]

Her first major film role was in 2013, when she starred in Tobe Hooper's film Djinn, which was the first horror film to be produced in the United Arab Emirates.[2]

In 2017, she had a recurring role in the National Geographic miniseries The Long Road Home, as well as guest-starring roles in The Brave and Madam Secretary.[12] The following year, she guest-starred in the CBS crime drama television series FBI.[12]

In October 2018, it was announced that she would have a recurring role in the Hulu comedy-drama series Ramy, playing Ramy's sister, Dena Hassan.[12] In 2020, she had a voice role as Ellie Malik in the video game NBA 2K21.[13]

In 2021, she appeared in the film Together Together, with Ed Helms and Patti Harrison.[10] In January of the same year, it was announced she would appear in the Disney+ miniseries Moon Knight, which premiered on March 30, 2022,[10][14] where Calamawy portrayed Layla El-Faouly, an archeologist and wife of Marc Spector (portrayed by Oscar Isaac).[7][15]

Personal life

She has alopecia areata, and was first diagnosed with the condition when she was 22.[8]

Since 2015, Calamawy has resided in the United States.[16]

Filmography

Films
Year Title Role Notes
2006 Thursday Kelly Spencer
2007 Temperance Leila Short
2008 Santa Claus in Baghdad Hala Short
2011 Hassad Al Möta Tunnel Zombie Short
Paradise Falls Jenny Short
2012 A Genie Called Gin Lucy Short
2013 Djinn Aisha
Moi aussi je t'aime Short
2019 The Bed Woman Short
Passerby Saba Short
1 Out of 30 Fatimah Short
Saeed Sue Short
2021 Together Together Carly

Television
Year Title Role Notes
2011 Checking In Raya Episode: "Sneak Peek"
2017 Madam Secretary Mona Alsnany Episode: "Off The Record"
The Brave Mina Bayoud Episode: "It's All Personal"
The Long Road Home Faiza National Geographic miniseries
BKPI Ameena Episode: "Mister Flasher"
2018 FBI Nita Kayali Episode: "Green Birds"
2019–present Ramy Dena Hassan Main role
2022 Moon Knight Layla El-Faouly Main role

Video games
Year Title Role Notes
2020 NBA 2K21 Ellie Malik Voice role

References
  1. "May El Calamawy". Time Out Dubai. September 14, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  2. Vivarelli, Nick (February 21, 2014). "International Star You Should Know: May El Calamawy". Variety. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  3. "May Calamawy". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  4. Phillips, Olivia (November 5, 2020). "May Calamawy On Dena Hassan, Double-Standards and Her Dedication To Sharing Real Female Arab Stories". Harper's Bazaar Arabia. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  5. "مي القلماوي تنضم لـ محمد دياب في مسلسله العالمي". darelhilal.com. January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  6. "Bahraini actress May Calamawy joins 'Moon Knight' cast". Asia Newsday. January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on April 6, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  7. Vary, Adam B. (March 30, 2022). "How 'Moon Knight' Sends Marvel Studios Into the Unknown: 'We're Creating a Whole New Thing'". Variety. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  8. Calamawy, May (June 11, 2020). "Sharing My Alopecia Helped Me Set New Expectations for Myself". Glamour. Archived from the original on June 5, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  9. "Dubai resident to Marvel star: It's 'Moon Knight' actress May Calamawy's time to shine". The National. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  10. Kit, Borys (January 13, 2021). "Marvel's 'Moon Knight': May Calamawy Joins Oscar Isaac in Disney+ Series (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  11. "May Calamawy on Auditioning for 'Ramy', Meeting Penguins in Dubai | The First Time". YouTube. May 26, 2020. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via Rolling Stone.
  12. Petski, Denise (October 19, 2018). "'Ramy': May Calamawy Cast As Series Regular In Ramy Youssef Hulu Comedy". Deadline. Archived from the original on June 6, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  13. Carolipio, Redmond (October 12, 2020). "PS4 Review - 'NBA 2K21'". WorthPlaying. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  14. Vary, Adam B. (April 27, 2020). "Every Marvel Studios Movie and Disney Plus Project in 2021 and Beyond". Variety. Archived from the original on June 8, 2021. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  15. "May Calamawy Interview: Moon Knight". Screen Rant. April 5, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  16. Jones, Isabel (May 29, 2020). "How May Calamawy's Biggest Insecurity Became a Ramy Storyline". InStyle. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
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