Jodhi May


Jodhi Tania May is an English stage, film, and television actress. She remains the youngest recipient of the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, for A World Apart. Her other film appearances include The Last of the Mohicans, Sister My Sister, and A Quiet Passion.

Early life

May was born Jodhi Tania Hakim-Edwards in 1975 in Camden Town, London. Her name was later legally changed to Jodhi Tania May.
Her mother, Jocelyn Hakim, is an art teacher of French-Turkish descent who as a student arranged to marry artist-designer Malcolm McLaren to obtain citizenship, paying him £50 to marry her in a Lewisham register office in 1972. They later divorced, a move that cost McLaren's grandmother £2,000. Jodhi has not publicly identified her father, besides stating he is German. She was educated at Camden School for Girls.
May first acted at the age of 12 for A World Apart. For the role she received a Best Actress award at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, shared with her co-stars Barbara Hershey and Linda Mvusi.
Other than a brief lull while studying English at Wadham College, Oxford, she has had near constant work since her debut, and can regularly be seen on film, television and the British stage.

Career

Notable roles have included Alice Munro in Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans, Lea Papin in Sister My Sister, Lady Sarah Lennox in Aristocrats, Florence Banner in Tipping the Velvet, Anne Boleyn in the first adaptation of The Other Boleyn Girl, and Sabina Spielrein in the play The Talking Cure.
In 2002, May wrote and directed a short film called Spyhole.
In August 2005, May appeared in Blackbird by David Harrower alongside Roger Allam at the Edinburgh Festival in a production by German director Peter Stein. The play transferred to the Albery Theatre, London in February 2006 and won a best new play award.
In 2010, she played the lead role of Kay in Mark Haddon's play Polar Bears at the Donmar Warehouse.
May played Janet Stone in the 2011 noir thriller I, Anna, alongside Gabriel Byrne, Charlotte Rampling, Eddie Marsan, and Honor Blackman.
In 2015, she appeared in the Season 5 premiere of the HBO series Game of Thrones.
In 2019, she played Queen Calanthe in The Witcher, Netflix's live-action adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski's popular book series.

Filmography

YearFilmRoleNotes
1988A World ApartMolly RothCannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress
Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer
1990Max and HelenMiriam WeissTV film
1990The GiftSonia ParsonsTV miniseries
1990Eminent DomainEwa
1991For the Greater GoodRose KellnerTV film
1992The Last of the MohicansAlice Munro
1994Second BestAlice
1994Sister My SisterLeaValladolid International Film Festival Award for Best Actress
1995Signs and WondersClaire PalmoreTV film
1995The Scarlet LetterPearlVoice
1997The GamblerAnna SnitkinaSilver Dolphin Award for Best Actress
1997The WoodlandersMarty South
1999AristocratsLady Sarah LennoxTV miniseries
1999WarriorsEmmaTV film
1999The Turn of the ScrewThe GovernessTV film
2000The House of MirthGrace Julia Stepney
2001DishMoShort
2001Round About FiveBicycle CourierShort
2002Tipping the VelvetFlorence BannerTV series
2002The EscapistChristine
2002Daniel DerondaMirah LapidothTV film
2003The Other Boleyn GirlAnne BoleynTV film
2003The Mayor of CasterbridgeElizabeth JaneTV film
2004BlindedRachel Black
2005On a Clear DayAngela
2005Bye Bye BlackbirdNina
2005Friends and CrocodilesLizzie ThomasTV film
2005The Best ManTania
2005The Man-Eating Leopard of RudraprayagJean IbbotsonTV film
2006Land of the BlindJoe's MotherUncredited
2006The Amazing Mrs PritchardMiranda LennoxTV series
2007NightwatchingGeertje
2007The StreetJean LeffertyTV series
2008Flashbacks of a FoolEvelyn Adams
2008Einstein and EddingtonElsa EinsteinTV film
2008DefianceTamara Skidelsky
2009EmmaAnne TaylorTV miniseries
2009Sleep With MeLeliaTV film
2010Blood and OilClaire UnwinTV film
2010Strike BackLayla ThompsonTV series
2011The Jury IIKatherine BulmoreTV series
2011I, AnnaJanet Stone
2012Ginger & RosaAnoushka
2012The ScapegoatBlanche
2013The Ice Cream GirlsPoppy Carlisle
2014The Crimson FieldAdelinde CrecyTV series
2014CommonColeen O'Shea
2015Game of ThronesMaggy the FrogTV series
2015A.D. The Bible ContinuesLeah, wife of CaiaphasTV series
2015Crossing LinesEvelyn St. ClairTV series
2016A Quiet PassionSusan Gilbert
2017Let Me GoBethBest Ensemble
2017GeniusHelen DukasTV series
2018ScarboroughLiz
2018Down a Dark HallHeather Sinclair
2018Moving OnRachelTV series
2019Gentleman JackVere HobartTV series
2019The Warrior Queen of JhansiQueen Victoria
2019The WitcherQueen CalantheTV series
2020Small AxeSelma JamesFilming