Known for movies

Short Info

Date Of BirthFebruary 8, 1965
SpousePhilippe Kelly, Gérard Darmon, Paul Powell
FactWon the "Premier Prix du Conservatoire de Danse de Paris" at age 16.
  • Karima Mathilda Haim was born in Paris, France, on 8 February 1965.
  • Best known for her role in the science-fiction horror movie “Lifeforce”, Karima’s career in the arts was influenced by her early interest in dance, leading to her winning the Premier Prix du Conservatoire de Dance de Paris at age 16.
  • Mathilda has a diverse career in acting, with most of her filmography being in French, tailored for the European market.
  • Beyond her acting career, Mathilda has also been married four times, with her marriages including to Paul Powell, Gérard Darmon—with whom she has two children, Sarah and Jules—Philippe Kelly, and Sly Johnson.
  • Passionate about film, ballet, and travel, Mathilda has also worked to support abandoned dogs and cats and is a strong advocate for animal welfare.

Mathilda May Wiki Biography

Karima Mathilda Haim was born in Paris, France on 8 February 1965, so under the zodiac sign Aquarius and holds French nationality – she is popular for her career as an actress, especially for her role in the “Lifeforce” science-fiction horror movie.

Childhood and education

Mathilda spent her entire childhood alongside her parents in Paris – her father, Victor Haim is a playwright, while her mother Margareta Hanson is originally from Sweden, and worked as a ballet teacher and choreographer. It appears that Mathilda is an only child as she hasn’t spoken about having any siblings.

Mathilda grew up being interested in dance rather than in acting – she competed in numerous contests while her biggest achievement was winning the Premier Prix du Conservatoire de Dance de Paris when she was 16.

She was very popular during the years she spent at high school as she was very attractive and a great dancer – the popularity of her parents helped as well. Rumors have it that many boys from her high school wanted to date, her but it is not known whether or not she was seeing anyone during those four years.

CategoryInformation
Full NameKarima Mathilda Haim (Alias: Karin Haïm)
Known ForRole in “Lifeforce”, French cinema, and theatre direction
ProfessionActress, Theatre Director
EducationPremier Prix du Conservatoire de Dance de Paris at age 16
Net WorthMore than $15 million (as previously stated, no update found)
SpousePaul Powell, Gérard Darmon, Philippe Kelly, Sly Johnson (Fourth husband)
ChildrenSarah (b. 17 August 1994), Jules (b. 4 March 1997) with Gérard Darmon
ParentsFather: Victor Haim, Mother: Margareta Hanson
Date of Birth8 February 1965
Zodiac SignAquarius
Place of BirthParis, France
NationalityFrench
EthnicityMixed (French/Swedish)
Hair ColorBrown
Eye ColorBrown
GenderFemale
Height5ft 7ins (1.7m)
Notable Works/Awards“Lifeforce”, “The Jackal”, César Award nomination, Molière Award for Best Director in Public Theatre (2019) for “Le Banquet”
HobbiesFilm, Ballet, Travel, Animal Welfare, Theatre Direction
Social Profile LinksTwitter, Instagram, Facebook

 

After she matriculated from high school, Mathilda decided to focus on her acting career rather than enroll at college and pursue a degree.

Career of an actress

Mathilda’s career was launched soon after she matriculated – it took her a while to win her first role, but her parents were there to help her.

Mathilda May

Almost all the films Mathilda has appeared in are in French and created specifically for Europe. She appeared in her first TV series in 1983 entitled “Weißblaue Geschichten”, and then won roles in “Nemo” in 1984 and “Lifeforce” in 1985.

In the US, Mathilda is mostly popular thanks to her role in “Lifeforce”, in which she played an alien vampire and is mostly naked throughout the movie – she is also popular for appearing in the space adventure video game “Privateer 2: The Darkening”, which was released in 1996, and for her role of Isabella in “The Jackal” film shot in 1997, in which she played alongside Richard Gere and Bruce Willis.

Mathilda’s most recent works include “The Players” and “Clash” shot in 2012, and “La Croisiere” and “Delit de fuite” shot in 2013 – it appears that she hasn’t been seen on TV screens since 2013, and it is not known what has she been doing in the meantime.

“Lifeforce” movie

Mathilda gained international recognition only thanks to her appearance in “Lifeforce,” a British science fiction horror movie shot in 1985. The movie was directed by Tobe Hooper, written by Don Jakoby and Dan O’Bannon, and stars Steve Railsback, Frank Finlay, Peter Firth, Mathilda May and Patrick Steward.

It is closely based on “The Space Vampires” novel, by Colin Wilson released in 1976, and follows the crew of the “Churchill” spaceship who find a huge alien spaceship hidden next to Halley’s Comet. They enter the ship only to find a lot of large creatures that resemble bats that are dead, as well as three naked aliens who are put into suspended animation – the “Churchill” ship goes Earth-wards with the trio of aliens, however, they lose contact with Earth and a rescue ship is sent to see what is going on.

The rescue party finds the ship in bad shape with the containers in which the aliens are held being completely intact. They are taken to a research center located in London, however, the female alien wakes up and kills a guard before escaping and taking shape as a human.

After excessive research, they find out that one of the crew members of the “Churchill” ship tried to destroy the ship on purpose to save the Earth from the aliens, and he tells them about these aliens, how dangerous they are, and how he is now mentally linked to the female alien.

The aliens are now known to be vampires, and the two males manage to transform most of the people living in London into zombies – the movie ends with the vampires and all the zombies dead, while the female vampire manages to escape in her spaceship together with the main actor of the movie.

Mathilda’s personal life and ex-husbands

Mathilda’s love life has been very interesting, as she has married and divorced three times.

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Brutus Vs Cesar

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Mathilda’s first husband was Paul Powell – the two married when Mathilda was 26 but they only met rather shortly before the wedding. They were together for two years before they split for unknown reasons.

Her second husband was Gerard Darmon, a popular actor and singer who was 16 years older than Mathilda. They exchanged their wedding vows in 1994 just one year after her first divorce – Mathilda was 29 while Gerard was 46, however, this didn’t seem to bother them.

They were married for five years before divorcing in 1999, again for reasons unknown – they are parents to their daughter Sarah who was born on 17 August 1994 and their son Jules who was born on 4 March 1997.

Mathilda’s third and last husband was Philippe Kelly whom she married in 2000 just a year after her and Gerard’s divorce. They were married for six years before deciding to divorce in 2006 – once again, the reasons behind this divorce are not known.

Hobbies and other interests

Mathilda’s main passion is film, and she spent most of her time shooting for TV series and movies before she left the film industry in 2013 – today, she has numerous other interests and things she is passionate about.

Mathilda is a singer, and released her own album in 1992 entitled “Joy of Love”, however, she then decided not to pursue a career in music. She is very passionate about ballet, which is mostly thanks to her mother – Mathilda was taking ballet classes when she was eight years old but stopped when she was around 19.

She loves to travel and has been all around Europe, often attending premieres of her movies – even though she has seen most of Europe, she hasn’t travelled around America, Africa or Asia.

Mathilda May

Mathilda has been working with abandoned dogs and cats since she was a little girl, and is a big lover of animals – she is also fighting to save endangered species. However, she has never had time for a pet dog or a cat, as she was always busy and rarely at home.

Appearance and net worth

Mathilda is currently 59 years old. She has long brown hair and brown eyes, and is 5ft 7ins (1.7m) tall, while her weight is not known.

According to authoritative sources, her current net worth is estimated to be more than $15 million and is steadily rising thanks to her career as an actress.

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Hi hi hi! @richardschroederphoto

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Social media presence

Mathilda is quite active on several popular social media networks, as she wants to maintain a positive image on the internet, now that she is no longer appearing in movies and TV series.

In July 2014, Mathilda embarked on her Twitter journey, amassing a loyal following of over 1,400 and engaging with her audience through more than 140 tweets.

However, it’s her Instagram presence that truly shines, boasting a robust community of over 28,000 followers who eagerly await her uploads, totaling more than 1,100 captivating snapshots. Additionally, Mathilda has a thriving Facebook page with a dedicated fan base exceeding 2,200 individuals.

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General Info

Full NameMathilda May
Date Of BirthFebruary 8, 1965
Height1.78 m
ProfessionActor, Singer
NationalityFrench

Family

SpousePhilippe Kelly, Gérard Darmon, Paul Powell
ChildrenSarah Darmon, Jules Darmon
ParentsMargareta Hanson, Victor Haïm
SiblingsJudith Reval

Accomplishments

AwardsCésar Award for Most Promising Actress
MoviesLifeforce, The Tit and the Moon, The Jackal, The Girl Cut in Two, Naked Tango, Becoming Colette, The Players, Scream of Stone, Toutes peines confondues, Dead Tired, The Cry of the Owl, Three Tickets for the 26th, Isabelle Eberhardt, Delit De Fuite, The Catwalk, Dream One

Social profile links


Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
Author

As a Freelance Writer at Biography Pedia, I oversee the full writing process, from in-depth research to the development of compelling narratives, ensuring accuracy and excellence in our output. Our goal is to produce insightful profiles that deeply explore the lives of prominent figures in business, entertainment, and other fields. Through meticulous research and engaging storytelling, we spotlight the significant journeys and achievements of individuals who captivate and inspire our readers.

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