May Calamawy

May El Calamawy[1][2] (Arabic: مي القلماوي, romanized: Mayy al-Qalamāwī,[3] Egyptian Arabic: [ˈmˤɑjj (el)ʔælæˈmæːwi]; born October 28, 1986) is an Egyptian-Palestinian[a] actress who has worked and resided in the United States since 2015. She is known for her roles in the American television series Ramy (2019–present) as Dena Hassan, and Moon Knight (2022) as Layla El-Faouly / Scarlet Scarab, the first Egyptian and first Arab superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Early life

Calamawy was born in Bahrain[2] on October 28, 1986,[2][5][10] to an Egyptian father who worked as a banker[2] and a Palestinian-Jordanian mother.[2][5] She has an older brother.[11] Raised mostly in Bahrain, she also spent six years living between Doha, Qatar, and Houston, Texas, before she was twelve years old.[2][7][5] Calamawy speaks English and Arabic[2] and also plays the piano.[12]

Calamawy has stated that she was inspired to become an actress after watching the film Death Becomes Her (1992) when she was a child.[5][13] She completed high school in Bahrain,[2] and at 17 she moved to Boston, Massachusetts, to study industrial design[12] at her father's request,[14] because he wanted her to study something other than acting.[2] At first, her parents did not feel comfortable about sending her to the United States to study acting, because they wanted a degree that was more specialized and would guarantee a career.[12] She applied to Emerson College and told her parents, "If I get in, I'm going."[2] She was accepted and earned a B.A. in theatre studies.[7] Calamawy's mother started accepting the idea of her acting career after college and became her main champion.[14]

She moved to Dubai in 2009[2] to help care for her mother,[14][11] who was sick with stage 4 lung cancer.[14][15] Her hair started falling out due to stress at the same time as her mother's hair fell out due to chemotherapy.[7] Following her mother's death when Calamawy was 25,[15] her father suggested her to focus on a more stable job, which she tried for two years.[14] From 2013 to 2014, she was the manager of the coffee shop The Magazine Shop in Dubai.[16][17] Her mother's death inspired her to focus on acting.[15] After living in Dubai for five years, she moved back to the United States in 2015 to pursue an acting career and enrolled at the William Esper Studio in New York City.[18][11][7]

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.[19] After attending college, she participated in the New York Arab American Comedy Festival.[2]

In 2006, she made her feature film debut in Thursday, directed by Thadd Williams.[20] From 2009 to 2014, she was dividing her time between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, acting in shorts and a TV pilot.[2] Her first major film role was in Tobe Hooper's 2013 supernatural horror film Djinn, 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, and guest-starring roles in The Brave and Madam Secretary.[19] The following year, she guest-starred in the CBS crime drama television series FBI.[19] 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.[19] In 2020, she voiced Ellie Malik in the video game NBA 2K21.[21] In 2021, she appeared in the comedy film Together Together, with Ed Helms and Patti Harrison.[22]

In 2022, Calamawy starred in the Disney+ miniseries Moon Knight, based on the Marvel Comics featuring the character of the same name,[22][23] where she portrayed Layla El-Faouly, an Egyptian archeologist and estranged wife of Marc Spector (portrayed by Oscar Isaac),[24] who later becomes the Scarlet Scarab, the first Egyptian and first Arab superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.[25][26] Her character made her comic debut in September 2023 as the new Scarlet Scarab on Moon Knight Vol. 9 #25.[27]

In July 2022, she joined the voice cast of the animated television series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur as a guest star. The show premiered on Disney Channel and Disney+ in 2023.[28] In May 2023,[29] Calamawy joined the cast of Ridley Scott's Gladiator II and it was originally announced that she would play an important character,[30] but her scenes were cut and she only appeared in an uncredited non-speaking background role as a companion of Denzel Washington's character in a few scenes.[31][32]

In 2025, Calamawy played five different characters in Duke Johnson's thriller The Actor.[33][34]

In April 2025, she joined the cast of Lee Cronin's supernatural horror film The Mummy.[35]

Personal life

Since 2015, Calamawy has resided in the United States.[11][5]

She was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease alopecia areata at the age of 22.[7] Her alopecia was incorporated into the storyline of her character Dena Hassan in Ramy during the show's second season.[7][11]

In October 2023, she signed an open letter for the Artists4Ceasefire campaign calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war.[36]

Filmography

Films

Key
† Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released
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
2017 Passerby Saba Short
2019 The Bed Woman Short
Saeed Sue Short
1 Out of 30 Fatimah Short
2021 Together Together Carly
Meet Cute Girl Short
2024 Gladiator II Macrinus's companion Uncredited cameo appearance; role reduced due to deleted scenes[31][37]
2025 The Actor
2026 The Mummy † Filming
TBA The Closet † Annie Short
TBA Night Feeds † The Mother

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 / Scarlet Scarab Main role
Marvel Studios: Assembled Herself Episode: "Assembled: The Making of Moon Knight"
2023 Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Fawzia (voice) Episode: "Goodnight, Moon Girl"

Video games

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

Notes

  1. ^ Although Calamawy was born in Bahrain, she does not hold Bahraini citizenship. Bahrain's nationality law only grants citizenship to people born in Bahrain to a Bahrain-born father who is a permanent resident,[4] while Calamawy's father is Egyptian and her mother is Palestinian-Jordanian. Calamawy identifies herself as Egyptian-Palestinian. All the reliable sources available refer to her as being only Egyptian-Palestinian, and as of June 2025, there is no evidence that she holds any other citizenship.[1][5][6][7][8][9]

References

  1. ^ a b c "May El Calamawy". Time Out Dubai. September 14, 2011. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o 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. ^ مي القلماوي تنضم لـ محمد دياب في مسلسله العالمي. darelhilal.com (in Arabic). January 14, 2021. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  4. ^ "The Citizenship of Bahrain" (PDF). Global Citizenship Observatory. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 16, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g 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.
  8. ^ Ahmad, Nessrin Ali (April 16, 2022). "Get this straight: Curls bounce back in Cairo". The Jordan Times. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved November 20, 2024. In Hollywood, Egyptian-Palestinian actress May Calamawy even shows off her curls in Marvel's latest series, "Moon Knight"
  9. ^ "Transcript: Season 4, Episode 1, May Calamawy | Making It Big in 30 Minutes". Emerson College. March 15, 2022.
  10. ^ "May Calamawy". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on April 2, 2022. Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e 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.
  12. ^ a b c Ruland, Colter (June 24, 2020). "May Calamawy". ContentMode. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  13. ^ "May Calamawy on Auditioning for 'Ramy', Meeting Penguins in Dubai | The First Time". Rolling Stone. May 26, 2020. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2022 – via YouTube.
  14. ^ a b c d e Flint, Hanna (April 20, 2022). "May Calamawy Is Doing Moon Knight Her Way". Elle. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  15. ^ a b c Bains, Devinder (December 2024). "May Calamawy on being the first Arab superhero and tackling stereotypes". Madame Arabia. Archived from the original on January 25, 2025. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  16. ^ Croucher, Martin (September 6, 2013). "Brothers spread the word in Dubai". The National. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2025.
  17. ^ Anastasiou, Andrea (March 2, 2014). "Atmosphere matters at UAE coffee shops such as Starbucks". The National.
  18. ^ Mottram, James (March 29, 2022). "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.
  19. ^ a b c d 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.
  20. ^ Borama, Jennifer (May 31, 2020). "10 Things You Didn't Know About May Calamawy". TVOvermind.
  21. ^ Carolipio, Redmond (October 12, 2020). "PS4 Review - 'NBA 2K21'". WorthPlaying. Archived from the original on June 7, 2021. Retrieved June 7, 2021.
  22. ^ a b 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.
  23. ^ Vary, Adam B. (December 30, 2021). "Every Marvel Studios Movie and Disney Plus Project in 2022 and Beyond". Variety. Archived from the original on March 21, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
  24. ^ Brookins, Erin (April 20, 2022). "Who is May Calamawy? Everything to Know About 'Moon Knight's Breakout Star". Collider. Archived from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  25. ^ Dixit, Marni (April 4, 2022). "Moon Knight's May Calamawy on making history in the MCU: 'Surreal'". Yahoo! Lifestyle. Archived from the original on April 26, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  26. ^ Paige, Rachel (May 4, 2022). "'Moon Knight': May Calamawy is The MCU's First Egyptian Super Hero Scarlet Scarab". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on May 6, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  27. ^ Bailey, Dustin (April 19, 2023). "The MCU's Scarlet Scarab is about to make her Marvel Universe comic debut". Newsarama. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on April 19, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2023.
  28. ^ Paige, Rachel (July 21, 2022). "SDCC 2022: 'Marvel's Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur' Announces Stellar Guest and Recurring Voice Cast". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  29. ^ Jackson, Angelique (May 18, 2023). "'Gladiator' Sequel Adds May Calamawy and Fred Hechinger, With Derek Jacobi Set to Return". Variety. Retrieved September 20, 2024.
  30. ^ Kroll, Justin (May 18, 2023). "Paramount's Gladiator Sequel Rounds Out Cast With Moon Knight Breakout May Calamawy & Others; White Lotus Actor Fred Hechinger In Talks For Emperor Geta Role". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved May 18, 2023. While many of the leading roles were straight offers, Scott wanted to do a similar search he did for the Mescal part for the role that Calamawy ultimately landed. Given the importance of the character to the story, Scott wanted a thorough search, and following multiple auditions Calamawy landed the part.
  31. ^ a b Salih, Swara (November 15, 2024). "What happened to Palestinian-Egyptian actress May Calamawy's role in Gladiator II?". The New Arab. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved November 17, 2024.
  32. ^ Mustafa, Maysa (November 15, 2024). "Gladiator filmmakers accused of being anti-Palestinian for cutting May Calamawy scenes". Middle East Eye. Archived from the original on November 26, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
  33. ^ Azar, Nicolas (December 15, 2022). ""كانت رحلتي بأكملها عبارة عن بحث مستمر واكتشاف لهويّتي": May Calamawy" [May Calamawy: "My entire journey has been a constant search and discovery of my identity"]. Marie Claire Arabia (in Arabic). Archived from the original on January 30, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2024. I'm about to head to Budapest for a month with an amazing cast to work on a movie called The Actor directed by the talented Duke Johnson. I'm so excited about this, I couldn't have wished for a better end to the year!
  34. ^ "May Calamawy's PIVOT". YouTube. March 13, 2023.
  35. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 10, 2025). "Blumhouse, Atomic Monster & New Line's 'The Mummy' Enwraps Veronica Falcón, May Calamawy & May Elghety". Deadline Hollywood.
  36. ^ Veltman, Chloe (October 21, 2023). "Entertainment industry A-listers sign a letter to Biden urging a cease-fire in Gaza". NPR. Archived from the original on October 30, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  37. ^ Mahdawi, Arwa (November 16, 2024). "What happened to Palestinian-Egyptian actor May Calamawy's role in Gladiator II?". The Guardian. When Calamawy was originally cast (long before 7 October 2023) it was reported that she'd have an "important" or leading role. Now it seems like she has been all but cut from the movie – relegated to a tiny non-speaking background part.