Elaine May

Elaine May
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Name	Elaine May
Caption	May in 1971
Birth name	Elaine Iva Berlin
Birth date	21 April 1932
Birth place	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Occupation	Actress, comedian, playwright, screenwriter, film director
Years active	1955–present
Spouse	Marvin May, Sheldon Harnick, David L. Rubinfien
Children	2, including Jeannie Berlin
Awards	Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay (nominated), Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play (nominated), Kennedy Center Honors (2021)

Elaine May is an American filmmaker, comedian, playwright, and actress, renowned as a pioneering figure in improvisational theatre and a groundbreaking director in New Hollywood. She first achieved fame in the late 1950s as part of the seminal comedy duo Nichols and May with Mike Nichols, whose sophisticated, character-driven sketches revolutionized American comedy. Her subsequent career as a writer and director, marked by a fiercely personal and uncompromising vision, produced acclaimed films like The Heartbreak Kid and the notorious cult film Ishtar, while her later work as a script doctor and playwright solidified her status as a revered and influential artist. In 2021, her lifetime of contributions to American culture was recognized with the Kennedy Center Honors.

Early life and education

Born Elaine Iva Berlin in Philadelphia, she was the daughter of Yiddish theatre actor Jack Berlin and his wife Ida Berlin. Her early life was itinerant, traveling with her father's touring company, which provided an unconventional education immersed in the world of vaudeville and theatre. She attended various schools before ultimately dropping out of high school, and her formal education was sporadic, though she briefly studied acting under the renowned teacher Maria Ouspenskaya in Los Angeles. This unconventional upbringing in the performing arts, far removed from traditional academia, fundamentally shaped her intuitive, character-based approach to comedy and drama.

Career in comedy and theater

May's career was catapulted to national prominence through her partnership with Mike Nichols, which began at the University of Chicago and was honed at the Compass Players, the precursor to The Second City. Nichols and May became a sensation on Broadway with their show An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May and through frequent appearances on television programs like The Jack Paar Program. Their sketches, such as the famous "Mother and Son" telephone routine, were celebrated for their sharp psychological insight and satirical edge, influencing a generation of comedians including Woody Allen and Steve Martin. After the duo amicably parted ways in 1961, May turned to playwriting, authoring successful works like Adaptation and Taller Than a Dwarf, and later returned to the stage as an actress, earning a Tony Award nomination for her performance in the 2018 revival of The Waverly Gallery.

Film directing and screenwriting

May transitioned to film with her directorial debut, A New Leaf (1971), which she also wrote and starred in alongside Walter Matthau. She followed this with the critically acclaimed The Heartbreak Kid (1972), written by Neil Simon and starring Charles Grodin and Cybill Shepherd, which is considered a classic of American cinematic satire. Her next film, Mikey and Nicky (1976), a gritty drama starring John Cassavetes and Peter Falk, became noted for its tumultuous production but has since been re-evaluated as a masterwork. Her final directorial project, the big-budget comedy Ishtar (1987) starring Warren Beatty and Dustin Hoffman, was a legendary commercial and critical failure that overshadowed her directorial career for decades, though it has undergone significant critical reassessment. Concurrently, she became one of Hollywood's most sought-after and uncredited script doctors, performing extensive revisions on major films like Tootsie and Reds, and earned an Academy Award nomination for her adapted screenplay for Heaven Can Wait.

Later work and legacy

In later decades, May focused primarily on playwriting and occasional acting. She wrote the acclaimed play After the Night and the Music and, as mentioned, earned a Tony Award nomination for her performance in The Waverly Gallery. Her legacy has been profoundly reassessed, with modern critics and filmmakers citing her as a major influence for her unique voice and fearless approach to filmmaking. Directors such as Wes Anderson and Noah Baumbach have noted the impact of her work, and films like Mikey and Nicky are now studied for their innovative techniques. The 2021 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, where she was celebrated by luminaries including Bill Murray and John Mulaney, served as a capstone recognition of her indelible impact on American comedy and film.

Personal life

May has been married three times: to illustrator Marvin May, lyricist Sheldon Harnick, and, from 1964 until his death in 1982, to psychoanalyst David L. Rubinfien. She has two children: actress and director Jeannie Berlin, who starred in The Heartbreak Kid, and businessman David Rubinfien. She has maintained a famously private life, rarely giving interviews, and is known for her sharp intellect and wit within professional circles. Her long-standing friendship and creative partnership with Mike Nichols lasted until his death in 2014, marking one of the most significant collaborations in the history of American entertainment.

Category:American film directors Category:American screenwriters Category:American comedians Category:1932 births Category:Living people