May Calamawy

May Calamawy (born 1986)[1] is an Egyptian-Palestinian actress.[2] She is best known for her role in the Hulu television series Ramy as Dena Hassan.[3] She will also appear in the upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight.[3]

May Calamawy
Born1986 (age 34–35)[1]
Bahrain
NationalityBahraini
Alma materEmerson College (BA)
OccupationActress
Years active2006–present
Notable work
Ramy

Early life

Calamawy was born in 1986 in Bahrain to a Palestinian mother from Jordan and an Egyptian father.[4] She also lived in Doha, Qatar, and Houston, Texas.[4] Calamawy is bilingual, as she speaks both English and Arabic.[4] She has alopecia areata, and first got the condition when she was 22.[5]

Calamawy completed high school in Bahrain, and moved to Boston, Massachusetts to study industrial design because her father wanted her to.[4] However, 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.[5]

Career

Calamawy started her career acting in short films.[4] After attending college, she participated in the New York Arab American Comedy Festival.[4] 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][4] 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.[6] The following year, she guest-starred in the CBS crime drama television series FBI.[6] 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.[6] In 2020, she had a voice role as Ellie Malik in the video game NBA 2K21.[7] In 2021, she appeared in the film Together Together with Ed Helms and Patti Harrison.[3][8] In January of the same year, it was announced she would appear in the upcoming Disney+ miniseries Moon Knight, which is expected to premiere in 2022.[3][9]

Filmography

Films
Year Title Role Notes
2006 Thursday Kelly Spencer
2007 Temperance Leila Short film
2008 Santa Claus in Baghdad Hala Short film
2011 Hassad Al Möta Tunnel Zombie Short film
Paradise Falls Jenny Short film
2012 A Genie Called Gin Lucy Short film
2013 Djinn Aisha Main role
Moi aussi je t'aime Short film
2019 The Bed Woman Short film
Passerby Saba Short film
1 Out of 30 Fatimah Short film
Saeed Sue Short film
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 TBA Post-production, upcoming Disney+ miniseries

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

References
  1. 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. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  2. Hamad, Marwa (May 6, 2021). "31 actors in Hollywood with Arab roots: From Ariana Grande and Rami Malek to Jerry Seinfeld and Zoe Saldana". Gulf News. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  3. Kit, Borys (January 13, 2021). "Marvel's 'Moon Knight': May Calamawy Joins Oscar Isaac in Disney+ Series (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  4. Vivarelli, Nick (February 21, 2014). "International Star You Should Know: May El Calamawy". Variety. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  5. Calamawy, May (June 11, 2020). "Sharing My Alopecia Helped Me Set New Expectations for Myself". Glamour. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
  6. Petski, Denise (October 19, 2018). "'Ramy': May Calamawy Cast As Series Regular In Ramy Youssef Hulu Comedy". Deadline. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
  7. Carolipio, Redmond (October 12, 2020). "PS4 Review - 'NBA 2K21'". WorthPlaying. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  8. Dent, Steve (May 28, 2021). "Oscar Isaac will star in Marvel's Moon Knight series on Disney+". Engadget. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  9. Vary, Adam B. (April 27, 2020). "Every Marvel Studios Movie and Disney Plus Project in 2021 and Beyond". Variety. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
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