Isabel May

Isabel May might not be a household name yet, but it probably won’t be long now. The actress has starred in some well-received and highly-anticipated streaming series like Alexa & Katie on Netflix and Yellowstone 1883. She’s burst on the scene in recent years and her star in Hollywood is definitely on the rise.

Plus, there was a superhero turn expected though that might not be working out the way she planned. Let’s dive into Isabel May, her career, and everything we need to know about this actress on the rise. 

DC’S WONDER TWINS ADAPTATION IS NOW CANCELED

There was some big news back in April when DC announced that they were moving forward with a movie adaptation of Wonder Twins. Fans were rightfully excited about the possibility of hearing “Wonder Twins powers, activate!” on the big screen.

Because these cartoon characters had eventually made their way into the comic book pages of DC, the movie was set to join the DCEU in some form or fashion. And then came the casting announcement that Isabel May and KJ Apa (Riverdale) had been cast as the pair. It looked a lot like DC was about to appeal to a younger, teenage viewer in a way that they haven’t exactly been able to do with consistency.

But just as soon as all of this was announced, the plan for Isabel May and company with the Wonder Twins movie was scrapped. Budget cuts at the studio were at fault here and the idea of seeing Isabel May as Jayna and Apa as Jan was dashed.

While there is always the hope that something like this comes back into the works at some point, there’s a good chance we wouldn’t see May involved. Because of the ages of the characters, a couple (or more) year timeline would mean they would likely age out before it’s all said and done.

ISABEL MAY DELETES INSTAGRAM?

These days, typically one of the best ways to follow along with celebrity updates is to just head on over to the social media account in question and take a look. But that hadn’t really the case for Isabel May on Instagram. Though the actress had an account with a massive, 718K following, there had been very little happening on the feed.

In fact, Isabel May had only five posts on Instagram. The most recent was from months ago, a shot of her on the set of 1883. But now the account looks like it has been deactivated and deleted. This isn’t a new thing for celebrities, but it is a bit odd considering the timing. There doesn’t look like there had been any reporting on the reasoning behind it and it could just be a short-term glitch.

ISABEL MAY STARTED ACTING IN HIGH SCHOOL

It isn’t often an actress comes into a major streaming production with almost no experience in the acting game, but that’s exactly what happened with Isabel May. While growing up, there were aspirations to get into the business, though even in high school she hadn’t landed any real parts. During middle school, there seemed to be some skills there that teachers were beginning to notice, and since she was living in California at the time, she was able to audition for a number of different parts. But nothing was landing.

Then, in ninth grade, it was suggested to Isabel May and her parents that she begin taking online classes in order to fulfill her educational requirements to graduate while also freeing her up to spend more time auditioning and acting in general. This proved to be a fortuitous choice on the part of all involved. That’s because in the 10th grade (while enrolled online), Isabel May was able to land her first major part in the business. This would end up taking her trajectory and pointing the needle upwards in a considerable way.

ISABEL MAY STARS ON ALEXA & KATIE

It isn’t often that an actor or actress with little to no experience in the game lands a series on a major streaming service. It’s not impossible, but it’s rare, and that’s exactly what happened to Isabel May.

In 2018 she was cast in the role of Katie for the streamer and it wasn’t the only first for this series. In addition to casting new talent, this was also the first multi-camera sitcom made as an original for Netflix. 

Alexis & Katie starred Paris Berelc and Isabel May as the titular pair in a show made for teens about two girls entering high school. It has a lot of the familiar beats of this style and genre of show with corny jokes, a couple of go-to sets (school, the hangout spot, homes, etc) but with one interesting twist.

In the series, Alexis is dealing with cancer and Katie is there as the supportive friend. The show isn’t about this exclusively with the pair dealing with some of the other “issues” for students (relationships, family, etc), but the cancer diagnosis and how the pair battle it together is at the heart of the show.

Isabel May and company lasted for three seasons on Netflix with Alexis & Katie and critics who reviewed the series gave it stellar marks. The first season is sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and those who watched it were able to see if for what it was: a Disney/ Nick show that appealed to a younger audience but had a good message at its heart. Both Isabel May and Paris Berelc were praised for their performances as well. 

It’s also worth noting that during this time, Isabel May landed a network role. And though the part was a much smaller one, the series was much bigger. She played Veronica Duncan on nine episodes of CBS’s Young Sheldon, the popular prequel to the Big Bang Theory. Her arc was as Georgie’s (Montana Jordan) girlfriend and her particular change in attitude and personality (and belief system) was a pretty hilarious mini-part of Seasons 2 and 3. 

ISABEL MAY STARS IN THE YELLOWSTONE PREQUEL 1883

Yellowstone has quickly become one of the biggest series out there with Taylor Sheridan, Kevin Costner, and company creating an entire world and history around the fictitious Dutton Ranch at the center of most stories. And because of this popularity, along with the world-building that’s gone on around the family and just how they acquired such a massive piece of property in the West, we’ve had other series in this franchise as well. There are more on the way, but the first was 1883 which told the story of how the Dutton clan made their way west across the frontier. 

Warning: Yellowstone: 1883 spoiler ahead

Isabel May landed a role in this series as Elsa Dutton, the teenage daughter of Tim McGraw’s James Dutton and Faith Hill’s Margaret Dutton. Elsa is the oldest child of the brood with the story focusing on how this group makes their way across the brutal landscape in the years following the Civil War.

The show ran as a limited series and, as of right now, there is no plan for a direct second season. That would mean Isabel May had a one-and-done in this franchise. 

There are plans for the next round of stories to be in the show 1932. But considering the events of this first series, Isabel May wouldn’t be back either way. That’s because her Elsa character died during the events of this first show.

She was hit by an arrow when under attack by members of the Lakota tribe. The scene between her and McGraw as James was an emotional one and harkened back to the first episode of Yellowstone when Kevin Costner’s character has to lay his son down. 

THE MOON & BACK IS NEXT

With Wonder Twins scrapped, there isn’t much in the way of confirmed work for Isabel May in the future. She does have one movie coming out this year, The Moon & Back which she’ll star in alongside Missi Pyle, Nat Faxon, and PJ Byrne. The film tells the story of May’s Lydia who finds a movie script written by her father that she sets out trying to film on her VHS. The story looks intriguing and silly in all the right ways.