Editing Mathilda May

{{Short description|French actress (born 1965)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Lead too short|date=September 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=September 2011}}
}}
{{Infobox person
| image        = Mathilda May Cannes 2010.jpg
| caption      = May in 2010
| birthname    = Karin Haïm
| birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1965|2|8|df=y}}
| birth_place  = Paris, France
| death_date   = 
| death_place  = 
| education    = [[Conservatoire de Paris]]
| years_active = 1984–present
| spouse       = {{ubl
  | {{marriage|Paul Powell|1991|1993}}
  | {{marriage|[[Gérard Darmon]]|1994|1999}}
  | {{marriage|Philippe Kelly|2000|2006}}
  | Sly Johnson<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ouadhi|first=Sonia|date=2022-02-08|title=Mathilda May fête ses 57 ans : qui est son compagnon le chanteur Sly Johnson ?|url=https://www.voici.fr/news-people/mathilda-may-fete-ses-57-ans-qui-est-son-compagnon-le-chanteur-sly-johnson-722707|magazine=[[Voici]]|language=fr|access-date=2022-02-09}}</ref>}}
| children     = 2
| father       = [[Victor Haïm]]
}}
'''Mathilda May''' (born '''Karin Haïm''';<ref>{{cite book |first=Mathilda |last=May |year=2018 |chapter=Prologue |title=V.O. |location=Paris |publisher=[[Plon (publisher)|Éditions Plon]] |language=fr |isbn=978-2-259-26450-1}}</ref> 8 February 1965) is a French film actress and director. Her most well-known roles include portraying Space Girl in ''[[Lifeforce (film)|Lifeforce]]'' (1985) and Jeanne Gardella in ''[[Toutes peines confondues (film)|Toutes peines confondues]]'' (1992). 

Her father is [[Victor Haïm]] (born Victor Lévy) the French playwright, actor, screenwriter, director and drama teacher, whose works have been translated and performed in several countries.

==Early life==
May was born in Paris, France. Her father, playwright,<ref>C.R.I.S, Association. "Actualités de Victor Haïm, actualités, textes, spectacles, vidéos, tous ses liens avec la scène - theatre-contemporain.net". theatre-contemporain.net (in French).</ref> screenwriter, and actor [[Victor Haïm]], is of [[Sephardic Jewish]] (Greek and Turkish) descent. Her mother is the Swedish ballet teacher and choreographer Margareta Hanson.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Gurtler |first1=Matthias |last2=Simon-Michel |first2=Joséphine |date=15 January 2008 |title=CV de stars: Mathilda May |url=http://www.vsd.fr/contenu-editorial/en-coulisses/cv-de-stars/190-mathilda-may |magazine=[[VSD (French magazine)|VSD]] |language=fr |access-date=8 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301062903/http://www.vsd.fr/contenu-editorial/en-coulisses/cv-de-stars/190-mathilda-may |archive-date=1 March 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> She studied under [[Christiane Vaussard]] at the [[Conservatoire de Paris]], graduating at age 16.<ref>{{cite web|date=2016-01-29|title=Mathilda May : "je renoue avec moi-même"|url=http://dansercanalhistorique.fr/?q=content/mathilda-may-je-renoue-avec-moi-meme|website=Danser canal historique|language=fr|access-date=2023-06-08}}</ref>

==Career==
May's film work is primarily in French and made for the European market. She was the recipient of the [[César Award for Most Promising Actress]] in 1988<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Cry of the Owl (translated from French) |url=https://www.academie-cinema.org/films/le-cri-du-hibou-30235/}}</ref> and the [[Prix Romy Schneider]] in 1989. Non-French films she has appeared in include ''[[Naked Tango]]'' (1990), ''[[Becoming Colette]]'' (1991) and ''[[The Tit and the Moon]]'' (1994). In the United States, she is best known for her role as an alien [[vampire]] in the [[Tobe Hooper]] science fiction/horror film ''[[Lifeforce (film)|Lifeforce]]'' (1985), in which she is naked for most of her performance. She also appeared in the 1996 space adventure game ''[[Privateer 2: The Darkening]]''. She played Isabella in ''[[The Jackal (1997 film)|The Jackal]]'', a 1997 action film.

May recorded an album in 1992 called ''Joy of Love''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Mathilda May – Album Discography |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mathilda-may-mn0000727509|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Mathilda May – Mathilda May|url=http://www.discogs.com/Mathilda-May-Mathilda-May/release/1096422|website=[[Discogs]]|access-date=8 June 2023}}</ref>

May was the writer and director for the theater show ''Open Space'', which was performed in the Théâtre Jean-Vilar in the commune of [[Suresnes]], the [[Théâtre du Rond-Point]], and the [[Théâtre de Paris]] from 2013 to 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last=Blanchard|first=Sandrine|date=16 October 2013|title=La petite entreprise de Mathilda May|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/scenes/article/2013/10/16/la-petite-entreprise-de-mathilda-may_6002652_1654999.html|newspaper=[[Le Monde]]|language=fr|access-date=24 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Patricelli|first=Sonia|date=9 June 2015|title=Mathilda May, dans l'enfer de l'open space|url=https://www.france24.com/fr/20150609-mathilda-may-open-space-theatre-monde-travail-entreprise|work=[[France 24]]|language=fr|access-date=24 April 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=24 April 2015|title=A ne pas rater : Open Space, le spectacle burlesque mis en scène par Mathilda May|url=https://www.parisselectbook.com/2015/04/24/a-ne-pas-rater-open-space-le-spectacle-burlesque-mis-en-scene-par-mathilda-may/|website=Paris Select Book|language=fr|access-date=24 April 2021}}</ref> ''Open Space'' was a show without words; the story was presented by movement, music, and sound. May said of the show:<blockquote>It will be choreographed without it being dance, and musical without an instrument.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-10-10 |title=Open Space |url=https://www.theatre-suresnes.fr/spectacle/2013-open-space/ |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=Théâtre de Suresnes Jean Vilar |language=fr-FR}}</ref></blockquote>

==Personal life==
May has been married four times. Her first husband was Paul Powell. Her second husband was [[Gérard Darmon]], with whom she has two children, daughter Sarah (born 17 August 1994) and son Jules (born 4 March 1997). Her third husband was Philippe Kelly. Her fourth husband was Sly Johnson.

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Director
! Notes
|-
| 1984
| ''[[Nemo (1984 film)|Nemo]]''
| Alice
| {{sortname|Arnaud|Sélignac|nolink=1}}
| 
|-
| rowspan=3|1985
| ''[[Lifeforce (film)|Lifeforce]]''
| Space Girl
| {{sortname|Tobe|Hooper}}
|
|-
| ''Giorno dopo giorno''
| 
| {{sortname|Salvatore|Nocita}}
| TV series
|-
| ''[[Les Rois du gag]]''
| Alexandra
| {{sortname|Claude|Zidi}}
| 
|-
| rowspan=2|1986
| ''Les louves''
| Agnès
| {{sortname|Peter|Duffell}}
| TV film
|-
| ''Se un giorno busserai alla mia porta''
| Claudia Bandini
| {{sortname|Luigi|Perelli|nolink=1}}
| TV miniseries
|-
| rowspan=2|1987
| ''La vie dissolue de Gérard Floque''
| Pauline
| {{sortname|Georges|Lautner}}
| 
|-
| ''[[The Cry of the Owl (1987 film)|The Cry of the Owl]]''
| Juliette
| {{sortname|Claude|Chabrol}}
| [[César Award for Most Promising Actress]]
|-
| rowspan=5|1988
| ''[[The Secret of the Sahara]]''
| Myriam
| {{sortname|Alberto|Negrin}}
| TV miniseries
|-
| ''La passerelle''
| Cora Elbaz
| {{sortname|Jean-Claude|Sussfeld|nolink=1}}
| 
|-
| ''Piazza Navona''
| Jeanne
| {{sortname|Roger|Guillot|nolink=1}}
| TV series (Episode 6)
|-
| ''L'heure Simenon''
| Edmée
| {{sortname|Josef|Rusnak}}
| TV series (Episode 10)
|-
| ''[[Three Seats for the 26th]]''
| Marion
| {{sortname|Jacques|Demy}}
| 
|-
| 1990
| ''[[Naked Tango]]''
| Alba/Stéphanie
| {{sortname|Leonard|Schrader}}
|
|-
| rowspan=3|1991
| ''[[Isabelle Eberhardt (film)|Isabelle Eberhardt]]''
| [[Isabelle Eberhardt]]
| {{sortname|Ian|Pringle|Ian Pringle (director)}}
|
|-
| ''[[Scream of Stone]]''
| Katharina
| {{sortname|Werner|Herzog}}
|
|-
| ''[[Becoming Colette]]''
| [[Sidonie Gabrielle Colette]]
| {{sortname|Danny|Huston}}
|
|-
| 1992
| ''[[Toutes peines confondues (film)|Toutes peines confondues]]''
| Jeanne Gardella
| {{sortname|Michel|Deville}}
|
|-
| rowspan=4|1994
| ''Le voleur et la menteuse''
| Suzanne Henson
| {{sortname|Paul|Boujenah}}
|
|-
| ''[[Dead Tired]]''
| Herself
| {{sortname|Michel|Blanc}}
|
|-
| ''The Whipping Boy''
| Betsy
| {{sortname|Syd|Macartney|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
| ''[[The Tit and the Moon]]''
| Estrellita
| {{sortname|Bigas|Luna}}
|
|-
| rowspan=4|1996
| ''[[Celluloide]]''
| Cameo
| {{sortname|Carlo|Lizzani}}
|
|-
| ''Noces cruelles''
| Sandra
| {{sortname|Bertrand|Van Effenterre}}
| TV film
|-
| ''La ferme du crocodile''
| Sandrine Jaussier
| {{sortname|Didier|Albert|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
| ''[[Privateer 2: The Darkening]]''
| Melissa Banks
| {{sortname|Steve|Hilliker|nolink=1}}<br />Erin Roberts
| Video game
|-
| 1997
| ''[[The Jackal (1997 film)|The Jackal]]''
| Isabella Zanconia
| {{sortname|Michael|Caton-Jones}}
|
|-
| 1998
| ''Only Love''
| Silvia Rinaldi
| {{sortname|John|Erman}}
| TV film
|-
| 1999
| ''Entrevue''
| Alix
| {{sortname|Marie-Pierre|Huster|nolink=1}}
| Short
|-
| rowspan=2|2000
| ''Là-bas... mon pays''
| Nelly Azera
| {{sortname|Alexandre|Arcady}}
| 
|-
| ''Les redoutables''
| Military woman
| {{sortname|Thierry|Barthes|nolink=1}}<br />Pierre Jamin
| TV series (Episode 6)
|-
| rowspan=2|2001
| ''De toute urgence''
| Julie
| {{sortname|Philippe|Triboit|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
| ''[[Caméra Café]]''
| The Boss's wife
| 
| TV series (Season 1, Episode 43)
|-
| rowspan=2|2002
| ''Fabio Montale''
| Hélène Pessayre
| {{sortname|José|Pinheiro|nolink=1}}
| TV miniseries (Episodes 2–3)
|-
| ''[[Perlasca – Un eroe Italiano]]''
| Contessa Eleonora
| {{sortname|Alberto|Negrin|nolink=1}} (2)
| TV film
|-
| rowspan=2|2003
| ''Soyez prudents...''
| 
| {{sortname|Lionel|Gédébé|nolink=1}}
| TV series
|-
| ''{{ill|Soraya (film)|it|3=Soraya (miniserie televisiva)|lt=Soraya}}''
| [[Shams Pahlavi]]
| {{sortname|Lodovico|Gasparini|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
| 2004
| ''Love Express''
| Anne-Charlotte
| {{sortname|Elena|Hazanov|nolink=1}}
| 
|-
| rowspan=2|2005
| ''L'homme pressé''
| Irène Debord
| {{sortname|Sébastien|Grall|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
| ''L'homme qui voulait passer à la télé''
| Mélanie
| {{sortname|Amar|Arhab|nolink=1}}<br />Fabrice Michelin
| TV film
|-
| rowspan=2|2007
| ''New délire''
| Fanny's voice
| {{sortname|Éric|Le Roch|nolink=1}}
| 
|-
| ''[[A Girl Cut in Two]]''
| Capucine Jamet
| {{sortname|Claude|Chabrol|nolink=1}} (2)
| 
|-
| 2009
| ''Au siècle de Maupassant''
| Thérèse de Marsanne
| {{sortname|Gérard|Jourd'hui|nolink=1}}
| TV series (Season 2, Episode 2)
|-
| 2010
| ''Les nuits d'Alice''
| Angélique
| {{sortname|Williams|Crépin|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
| 2011
| ''Une vie française''
| Anna Blick
| {{sortname|Jean-Pierre|Sinapi|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
| rowspan=2|2012
| ''[[The Players (2012 film)|The Players]]''
| Ariane
| {{sortname|Jean|Dujardin}}
| 
|-
| ''Clash''
| Laure Rossignol
| {{sortname|Pascal|Lahmani|nolink=1}}
| TV series (Episodes 1, 5–6)
|-
| rowspan=2|2013
| ''La croisière''
| Françoise
| {{sortname|Pascal|Lahmani|nolink=1}} (2)
| TV series (Episode 6)
|-
| ''Délit de fuite''
| Cécile
| {{sortname|Thierry|Binisti|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
| 2014
| ''[[Crossing Lines]]''
| Audrey St. Marie
| {{sortname|Stephen|Woolfenden}}
| TV series (Season 2, Episode 9)
|-
| 2015
| ''On se retrouvera''
| Hélène Janson
| {{sortname|Joyce|Buñuel}}
| TV film
|-
| 2016
| ''Mystère à l'Opéra''
| Éva Fontaine
| {{sortname|Léa|Fazer}}
| TV film
|-
| 2018
| ''Access''
| Valérie Couderq
| {{sortname|Varante|Soudjian|nolink=1}}<br />Frédéric Scotlande
| TV series (Episodes 1–6, 8–12)
|-
| 2019
| ''Je ne rêve que de vous''
| Cora Madou
| {{sortname|Laurent|Heynemann|nolink=1}}
| 
|-
|-
| 2020
| ''Coup de foudre à Bangkok''
| Sandrine Lafore
| {{sortname|Chris|Briant|nolink=1}}
| TV film
|-
|-
| 2021
| ''Le Chemin du bonheur''
| Sarah Glücksmann
| {{sortname|Nicolas|Steil|nolink=1}}
| 
|-
| 2023
| ''Daron''
| Coco
| {{sortname|Frank|Bellocq|nolink=1}}
| TV series
|-
|}

== Award and accolades ==
* The César Award (the national film award of France): 1988 Best Young Female Newcomer for ''The Cry of the Owl''
* The 1989 Romy Schneider Award
* The 2019 Molliere for Best Director of a Public Theatre Show for ''The Wedding Banquet''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Le Banquet - Théâtre de Paris {{!}} THEATREonline |url=https://www.theatreonline.com/Spectacle/Le-Banquet/69046 |access-date=2024-05-06 |website=www.theatreonline.com}}</ref>
* The 2020 Molliere for Best Solo Performance for her production of Monsieur X starring [[Pierre Richard]] at the [[Théâtre de l'Atelier|Théâtre de l’Atelier]].<ref>Palmares 1987 - 2023.docx (lesmolieres.com)</ref>
* The 2020 SACD ([[Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques]]) for Best Director<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-06-12 |title=La SACD dévoile les 35 lauréats des Prix SACD 2020 |url=https://www.sacd.fr/fr/la-sacd-devoile-les-35-laureats-des-prix-sacd-2020-0 |access-date=2024-05-07 |website=SACD |language=fr}}</ref>''<br />''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book |last=May |first=Mathilda |year=2007 |title=Personne ne le saura |language=fr |location=Paris |publisher=Flammarion |isbn=978-2-08-068459-2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Mathilda May}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070216165358/https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800088441 Mathilda May] at [[Yahoo! Movies]]
*{{IMDb name|0000528}}

{{César Award for Most Promising Actress}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:May, Mathilda}}
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century French actresses]]
[[Category:20th-century French Sephardi Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century French actresses]]
[[Category:21st-century French Sephardi Jews]]
[[Category:Actresses from Paris]]
[[Category:Conservatoire de Paris alumni]]
[[Category:French film actresses]]
[[Category:French people of Greek-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:French people of Swedish descent]]
[[Category:French people of Turkish-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:French television actresses]]
[[Category:Jewish French actresses]]
[[Category:Most Promising Actress César Award winners]]