Isabel May is an American actress born on November 21, 2000, in Santa Monica, California. She is best known for playing Elsa Dutton in the Paramount+ series 1883.
May has built a career spanning streaming television, film, and the horror franchise Scream.
Who is Isabel May?
Isabel May is an American actress known for her work across television and film. She first drew attention as a teenager on the Netflix series Alexa & Katie, then became widely recognized for her lead role in the Western prequel series 1883.
May has since expanded into film, joining major franchises and working alongside established Hollywood names. Her career has moved steadily from teen television into leading and supporting film roles.
She is represented by the talent agency CAA, along with the law firm Felker McGinnis & Ryan.
Early Life of Isabel May
May grew up in Santa Monica, California, where a teacher first noticed her creative streak and encouraged her parents to support her interest in the arts. She began auditioning for acting roles around age eleven and spent several years without booking a job.
By tenth grade, May and her parents decided she would finish school online so she could focus on auditions and training. That decision paid off within months.
She landed her first acting role, Katie Cooper on Alexa & Katie, shortly after switching to online schooling. May has kept her parents’ names and professional backgrounds out of the public record, though she has described them as consistently supportive of her career.
Isabel May Age
Isabel May is 25 years old as of 2026, born on November 21, 2000.
Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. She reached this milestone the same year Scream 7, one of her biggest film releases to date, hit theaters.
Isabel May Ethnicity and Nationality
Isabel May is American, born and raised in Santa Monica, California. Her specific ethnic background has not been publicly detailed in reliable sources.
What is well documented is her Southern California upbringing, which shaped her early exposure to the entertainment industry.
Isabel May Height and Weight
Isabel May stands at approximately 5 feet 9 inches, or 175 centimeters. Her weight is not consistently confirmed across reliable sources.
She has maintained an athletic, camera-ready presence across her television and film roles, including physically demanding parts like Zoe Hull in Run Hide Fight.
Isabel May Education
May attended regular school through ninth grade before switching to online schooling in tenth grade. The change let her concentrate fully on acting auditions and training. Within about six months of starting online classes, she booked her first role.
Beyond that shift to homeschooling, detailed information about a college or university degree has not been publicly confirmed.
Isabel May Career
Breakthrough Role and Career Start
May made her screen debut in a small part in the 2018 film Age of Summer. That same year, she landed her first major role as Katie Cooper on the Netflix series Alexa & Katie, which ran from 2018 to 2020.
While filming Alexa & Katie, May also joined the CBS series Young Sheldon as Veronica Duncan, the love interest of Sheldon’s older brother Georgie. She appeared in nine episodes of the show between 2018 and 2020.
In 2019, she starred in the independent one-shot thriller Let’s Scare Julie. The following year, she took the lead role of Zoe Hull in the action thriller Run Hide Fight, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 10, 2020, before being distributed by The Daily Wire.
Notable Films and Projects
May’s biggest break came in 2021, when Taylor Sheridan cast her as Elsa Dutton, the lead character and narrator of the Paramount+ Western series 1883, a prequel to Yellowstone.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan wrote the role after seeing May audition for another project, Mayor of Kingstown, meaning she never formally auditioned for 1883 itself.
The performance earned her a spot on The Hollywood Reporter’s list of Hollywood’s most promising young stars. May later reprised the role as narrator for the 2022 to 2025 sequel series 1923.
In 2022, she took a supporting role in the romantic comedy I Want You Back. In 2025, she joined Jennifer Lopez in The Last Mrs. Parrish, directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Recent Work
In February 2026, May appeared as Tatum Evans, daughter of Sidney Prescott, in Scream 7 alongside Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, and David Arquette. The film opened in theaters on February 27, 2026, and went on to gross around $214 million worldwide.
The following month, she premiered the romantic comedy Love Language at SXSW, co-starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Anthony Ramos, and Manny Jacinto. May plays Olivia, a bride whose wedding vows are secretly written by the film’s lead character.
She has several projects lined up beyond that. May co-stars with David Corenswet in the sports drama Mr. Irrelevant, due out December 25, 2026, and with actor Tee Yoo in the Lionsgate action thriller Karoshi, set for January 29, 2027. She is also attached to the drama Falling opposite KJ Apa.
Isabel May Awards and Recognition
May won the award for Outstanding Actress in a Made for Television Movie or Limited Series at the 24th Women’s Image Network Awards for her work in 1883.
Beyond that honor, she has not won a major industry award, though her performance in 1883 drew widespread critical praise and helped establish her as one of Hollywood’s rising young actresses.
Isabel May Boyfriend
Isabel May keeps her romantic life almost entirely private. She has not publicly confirmed a relationship, and no partner’s name appears in reliable, verified reporting.
As of 2026, she is generally described as single and focused on her expanding film career.
Isabel May Net Worth
Isabel May’s net worth is estimated at around $400,000 as of 2026. Her income comes primarily from her acting work in television and film.
That includes her early salary from Alexa & Katie and Young Sheldon, her lead role in 1883 and its sequel 1923, and her film work in Run Hide Fight and I Want You Back. Her more recent roles in Scream 7, Love Language, and The Last Mrs.
Parrish represent higher-profile, likely higher-paying projects that could push her earnings up in the coming years.
May has not disclosed specific salary figures for any individual project, and no verified information exists about real estate, business ventures, or brand endorsement deals tied to her name.
The Bottom Line
Isabel May’s breakout came in 2021, when Taylor Sheridan cast her as Elsa Dutton in 1883 after seeing her audition for Mayor of Kingstown. That role turned her into one of Paramount’s most recognizable young leads.
She switched to online schooling in tenth grade to focus on acting, after three years of auditions that led nowhere. That persistence eventually paid off with her first role on Alexa & Katie.
In 2026, May stepped into the Scream franchise as Tatum Evans and premiered the romantic comedy Love Language at SXSW. She has several more releases scheduled through early 2027, including Mr. Irrelevant and Karoshi.
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