Mia May

Mia May (born Hermine Pfleger on June 2, 1884, in Vienna; died November 28, 1980, in Los Angeles) was an Austrian-German actress of the silent film era. Together with her husband, director Joe May, and her daughter Eva May, she shaped early German cinema. After initial successes on stage, she switched to film in 1912 and quickly became one of the most famous actresses in UFA productions of the 1910s and 1920s. Particularly noteworthy is her leading role in DAS WANDERNDE BILD (1920, directed by Fritz Lang), a drama about guilt, redemption, and love set in the Bavarian Alps. Mia May played the character Irmgard Vanderheit, whose fate drives the film. This role marked her first collaboration with Fritz Lang, who later became one of the most important directors in German and international cinema. Other notable films starring Mia May include Veritas vincit (1919, directed by Joe May), Asphalt (1929, directed by Joe May), and various adventure and detective series produced in collaboration with her husband. In addition to her career as an actress, she was also involved in production and co-ran the May film studios in Berlin in the 1920s. In 1969, Mia May was awarded the Filmband in Gold for her services to German cinema. With her multifaceted acting and presence, she is still considered one of the most influential actresses of the silent film era, who helped lay the foundation for German auteur and genre cinema.