Jodhi May

Jodhi May was born in London, England, UK, in 1975. She commenced her acting career at the age of twelve. In 1988, for her inaugural screen role in “A World Apart,” she received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, making her the youngest recipient of this award. She also earned the Evening Standard British Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer for the same role. May attended Wadham College, Oxford University from 1994 to 1997, where she pursued English studies and earned a Masters in English, dedicating her time to literature.

Throughout her career, May has accumulated a diverse filmography. Notable early roles include Alice Munro in Michael Mann’s “The Last of the Mohicans” (1992) and Lea Papin in “Sister My Sister” (1994), for which she received the Valladolid International Film Festival Award for Best Actress. She portrayed Anna Snitkina in “The Gambler” (1997), earning the Silver Dolphin Award for Best Actress. Her television credits include Lady Sarah Lennox in the miniseries “Aristocrats” (1999) and Florence Banner in “Tipping the Velvet” (2002). In 2003, she played Anne Boleyn in the television adaptation of “The Other Boleyn Girl.” More recently, May has been featured as Queen Calanthe in Netflix’s “The Witcher” (2019-2023), Empress Natalya in “Dune: Prophecy” (2024), and Queen Anne in “Renegade Nell” (2024). She also held roles in “Gentleman Jack” (2019–2022) as Vere Cameron/Vere Hobart and “Small Axe” (2020) as Selma James.

Beyond acting, May has expanded her work into directing and writing. Her directorial projects include the short film “Spyhole” (2002) and episodes of the TV series “Moving On” (2019) and “Clink” (2019). She is also credited as a writer for “Spyhole” (2002) and an episode of “Moving On” (2018). Her upcoming directorial work includes “Mooring.” Her continuous engagement across various facets of production demonstrates a sustained career in the entertainment industry.