Elaine May Biography

Make no mistake, Elaine May’s a tough broad. A tenacious visionary at every turn in her 70-year career, she pivoted fearlessly from comedy to theatre to film – a true multihyphenate from an era when women were barely allowed to be just one of the things she’s proven herself so dexterous at.

May first rocketed to fame as one-half of comedy duo Nichols and May. At the height of their success – much to the dismay of Mike Nichols – she put an abrupt end to their act. Before long, Paramount came a-calling. With her debut feature, A New Leaf (1971), May became only the third woman (following Dorothy Arzner and Ida Lupino) admitted to the Directors’ Guild of America. The Heartbreak Kid (1972) was next, followed by Mikey and Nicky (1976). In 1987, May made her final film to date: an unjustly infamous one, of which she quips, “If all of the people who hate Ishtar had seen it, I would be a rich woman today.”

Over time, Ishtar has grown immeasurably in stature. But what does a woman who won a Grammy at 27 and a Tony at 89 need with Hollywood validation, anyway? Formal recognition did finally arrive in 2022, however, by way of an honorary Oscar for her “bold, uncompromising approach to filmmaking, as a writer, director, and actress” – “For now,” added May in her acceptance speech. For now, and forever.