About
Elaine Iva May (née Berlin; born April 21, 1932) is an American actress, comedian, writer, and director. She first gained fame in the 1950s for her improvisational comedy routines with Mike Nichols before transitioning her career, regularly breaking the mold as a writer and director of several critically acclaimed films. She has received numerous awards, including a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award. She was honored with the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama in 2013, and an Honorary Academy Award in 2022. In 1955, May moved to Chicago and became a founding member of the Compass Players, an improvisational theater group. She began working alongside Nichols and in 1957, they both quit the group to form their own stage act, Nichols and May. In New York, they performed nightly in clubs in Greenwich Village alongside Joan Rivers and Woody Allen, as well as on...
Known for
The Good FightSeries • 2017
American MastersSeries • 1986
The GraduateMovie • 1967
DuPont Show of the MonthSeries • 1957
LabyrinthMovie • 1986
Crisis in Six ScenesSeries • 2016
The BirdcageMovie • 1996
Dangerous MindsMovie • 1995
WolfMovie • 1994
TootsieMovie • 1982
Down to EarthMovie • 2001
Small Time CrooksMovie • 2000
Mikey and NickyMovie • 1976
Primary ColorsMovie • 1998
RedsMovie • 1981
IshtarMovie • 1987
A New LeafMovie • 1971
Heaven Can WaitMovie • 1978
California SuiteMovie • 1978
The Heartbreak KidMovie • 1972