May Calamawy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids May Calamawy
مي القلماوي
Calamawy in 2023
Born	May El Calamawy (1986-10-28) October 28, 1986 (age 38) Bahrain
Alma mater	Emerson College (BA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2006–present
Notable work	Ramy Moon Knight

May Calamawy (born October 28, 1986) is an actress from Egypt and Palestine. She has lived and worked in the United States since 2015. May is famous for her roles in two American TV shows. She played Dena Hassan in Ramy (starting in 2019). She also starred as Layla El-Faouly / Scarlet Scarab in Moon Knight (2022). Her character, Scarlet Scarab, was the first Arab and Egyptian superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Early Life and Education

May Calamawy was born in Bahrain on October 28, 1986. Her father was Egyptian and worked as a banker. Her mother was Palestinian-Jordanian. May has an older brother. She grew up mostly in Bahrain. She also lived in Doha, Qatar, and Houston, Texas, for six years. This was before she turned twelve. May speaks both English and Arabic.

She decided to become an actress after watching the movie Death Becomes Her (1992). She saw it when she was a child.

May finished high school in Bahrain. At 17, she moved to Boston, Massachusetts. She first studied industrial design, as her father wanted her to. Then she lived in Dubai for five years. After that, she moved back to the United States. She wanted to follow her dream of acting.

She applied to Emerson College. She told her parents she would go if she got in. She was accepted and earned a degree in theatre studies. May also studied acting at the William Esper Studio in New York City.

Acting Career

May Calamawy started her acting journey in short films. At first, she used her full name, May El Calamawy. Later, she changed it to May Calamawy. After college, she took part in the New York Arab American Comedy Festival.

In 2006, she made her first movie appearance in Thursday. From 2009 to 2014, she worked in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. She acted in short films and a TV pilot.

Her first big movie role was in Djinn (2013). This was a horror film directed by Tobe Hooper. It was the first horror movie made in the United Arab Emirates.

In 2017, May had a repeating role in The Long Road Home. This was a miniseries on National Geographic. She also had guest roles in The Brave and Madam Secretary. The next year, she appeared in the CBS crime show FBI.

In October 2018, it was announced she would join Ramy. This Hulu comedy-drama series features her as Dena Hassan. Dena is the sister of the main character, Ramy.

In 2020, she lent her voice to Ellie Malik. This character was in the video game NBA 2K21. In 2021, she appeared in the comedy movie Together Together. She acted alongside Ed Helms and Patti Harrison.

In 2022, May Calamawy starred in the Disney+ miniseries Moon Knight. The show is based on the Marvel Comics character. She played Layla El-Faouly, an Egyptian archaeologist. Layla is the estranged wife of Marc Spector. Later, she becomes the Scarlet Scarab. This makes her the first Arab and Egyptian superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

In July 2022, she joined the voice cast of Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur. This animated TV series premiered in 2023. In May 2023, Calamawy joined the cast of Gladiator II. Her scenes were later cut, and she appeared in a small, uncredited background role.

Upcoming Projects

In October 2022, May Calamawy joined the movie The Actor. This upcoming thriller is directed by Duke Johnson. In this film, she will play five different characters.

Personal Life

May Calamawy was diagnosed with alopecia areata at age 22. This is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss. Her character Dena Hassan in Ramy also had alopecia. This was added to the show's storyline in its second season.

Since 2015, May Calamawy has lived in the United States.

Filmography

Films

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: May Calamawy para niños