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Mathilda May
Also known as Karima Mathilda Haim
Career
Active 1984 – present
Biography
About Mathilda May
Mathilda May, born Karima Mathilda Haim on February 8, 1965, is a French actress with a career spanning over four decades. She is best known for her roles as Space Girl in the 1985 sci-fi film Lifeforce and as Jeanne Gardella in the 1992 thriller Toutes peines confondues. Her career began in 1984, and she has since worked in both French and international productions.
May was born in Paris, Ile-de-France, to a playwright father of Greek-Turkish and Sephardic origin and a Swedish ballet teacher mother. She trained as a dancer from a young age, studying at the Paris Conservatory and winning first prize at age 16. However, she felt bored with dance and turned to acting. At 18, she auditioned for the film Nemo, and despite not matching the requirements of being blonde and bilingual, she was cast. Her stage name was suggested by a producer, and she has since become quadrilingual.
Her filmography includes notable titles such as Le Cri du hibou (1987) directed by Claude Chabrol, Trois Places pour le 26 (1988) opposite Yves Montand, Naked Tango (1991), Devenir Colette (1991), and The Jackal (1997) with Richard Gere and Bruce Willis. In 1989, she won the Romy-Schneider Prize. She later moved into directing, earning a Molière award in 2019 for Best Director for her show Le Banquet at the Théâtre du Rond-Point.
May has been married three times and has two children with actor Gérard Darmon. In 2022, she married rapper Sly Johnson, but they divorced in 2025. She is also the sister of actress Judith Réval.
Record
Profile details
Personal
- Years Active
- 1984-present (started around 19 years old; 42 years active)
- Birthplace
- Paris, Ile-de-France, France
- Ethnicity
- Caucasian
Body
- Hair Color
- Black
- Eye Color
- Brown
- Weight
- 126 lbs (or 57 kg)
- Measurements
- 37.01–24.02–37.01 (B–W–H) · WHR 0.65
- Bra/Cup Size
- 34C show conversions - UK: 34C, EU: 75C, AU: 12C, JP: 75C
- Boobs
- Real/Natural
Performances
- Solo
- Nudity (Full)
Extra
- Instagram Followers
- 32k (as of March 2026)
Frequently asked
What is her connection to dance?
She trained in classical dance at the Paris Conservatory and won first prize at age 16, but later felt bored and switched to acting.
How did she get her stage name?
A producer suggested the surname 'May' because 'Haïm' wasn't considered suitable for a career; her parents agreed, and she adopted the name Mathilda May.
What awards has she won?
She won the Romy-Schneider Prize in 1989 and a Molière for Best Director in a Public Theatre Show in 2019 for 'Le Banquet'.
Is she multilingual?
Yes, she has become quadrilingual since her early career, though she initially did not speak English fluently.
Did you know
- She was born Karima Mathilda Haim but changed her first name to Mathilde at age 8.
- She is the daughter of a playwright and a Swedish ballet teacher, and her parents divorced when she was 12.
- She was cast in Nemo despite not being blonde or bilingual, as the audition required.
- She has been married three times and had a relationship with actor Gérard Darmon, with whom she has two children.
- In 2025, she divorced rapper Sly Johnson, whom she had married in 2022.
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