Life & Work with May Charters of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to May Charters.

Hi May, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My Aussie friends, have dubbed me a “slashie” as I pursue multiple talents in the arts. I am a painter/actor/filmmaker/writer/flamenco dancer/fashion casting director… and counting, haha.

I believe we are all artists as children, but society can knock it out of us as we get older, or of course, our passions may lie elsewhere. I was definitely told to focus on one thing, but I always had to follow my heart and soul and keep painting, dancing, and creating. For me, it’s necessary, like breathing. And I am glad that society is more accepting of multi hyphenate humans. Especially with AI chomping at our heels.

Born in Toronto and whisked away to the U.K. thanks to my parents’ film careers, life was a rollercoaster of adventures. Returning to Canada, my British accent became the target of bullies, and I learned to adapt wherever we were to keep them away. With a Scottish mom and Kiwi dad, my exposure to diverse accents and inspiring actors on film sets enriched my imagination, benefiting my acting career, particularly in voiceover. So, thank you, bullies.

I began skating at three, training for the Olympics until my career ended at fourteen due to my coach’s death and rising costs. I cherish my ice skating memories and later pursued ballet and flamenco, performing on tours around the U.S. and Canada and training in Spain. My childhood bedroom doubled as my parents’ editing suite, where I fell in love with film, learning to cut and splice it with tape and watching the magic unfold naturally led me to become a filmmaker.

I loved studying at the New York Film Academy in NYC; it was such a blast—I made short films in 16mm, some even hit festivals. By twenty-eight, I wrote and directed my first indie feature, “Lovers in a Dangerous Time,” inspired by Bruce Cockburn’s song, which I re-recorded with Jesse Marchant for the soundtrack. We filmed across all four seasons, and I’m so proud we made it without outside funding. The film streamed on Netflix and Hulu, winning several festival awards and having a theatrical release in Canada.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Is life ever really perfectly smooth? Haha. A couple of things stand out for me…

At eighteen, my family and I started the green card process. My dad misplaced some of my papers, causing a delay. By twenty-one, I was considered an adult, and no longer part of the family, so they all got green cards except me. I went in a tailspin trying to map out my next move! Little did I know it would be eleven years of my life stuck on “parole,” juggling the challenge of working full-time in Canada while being tethered to the U.S. for over six months. I am now a citizen and am happy that chapter has closed.

Then eight years ago, my mother had her first of four strokes. With the cost of caregiving in California being too high for my father, I stepped in to be her sole caregiver. My sister has helped as much as possible, and my brother, well, has been distant. Understandably, it’s hard for everyone to drop their lives to help.

I am grateful for the eight years spent helping my mother, but the physical and mental toll of caring for a declining parent is challenging. I had to set aside full-time jobs and struggled with my self-worth. As the oldest daughter, I faced early assumptions and grooming into caregiving, which affected my sense of value in the family.

Thankfully, I kept diving into daily voiceover auditions. Despite a bumpy ride with the recent strike and fierce competition, I landed some fantastic gigs as leads in video games and audiobooks. My absolute favorite? Voicing Nessie, the legendary Loch Ness monster, in Disney’s Mickey Mouse Funhouse series 🙂 I love voiceover and am excited for upcoming projects.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I mentioned some of my work above but…

I have three screenplays calling me to finish, so I write early every morning before my mum wakes up and it’s time to take care of her. Right now, my apartment is my colorful studio, and it’s bursting with paintings at different stages of creation. I recently bought a tiny, postcard-sized easel, perfect for adventure-packed plein air painting, capturing the vibrant California landscapes or letting emotions run wild in abstract pieces back in my studio.

Any big plans?
I’m thrilled about several projects, especially a screenplay inspired by my decade as a casting director in fashion. Working with a legendary photographer, I loved choosing faces for top brands but became more aware of the industry’s predatory nature.

So, while photographing sometimes hundreds of models daily, I humorously imagined them as zombies. The COVID-19 pandemic inspired a story about a casting director on her final photoshoot, who must survive the predatory clutches of the fashion world, her ex-lover’s grasp, and a new COVID strain that transforms people into zombie vampires. Titled, Dead Sexy. Coming soon! 🙂

It’s been a cathartic and fun journey writing it whether it gets made or not. But I know it will get made with me directing.

After a wonderful artist residency in Ireland last year I am preparing for an art show of portraits and landscapes. I’m currently deep into finishing the largest piece of the entire three-season cast of the TV show *The White Lotus*, in a Roman fresco style. A good friend of mine who is in the series commissioned a portrait of Mike White as Shakespeare, and I got inspired to keep going with the theme.

I have opened my calendar for art commissions again. I love painting and have enjoyed capturing portraits of pets. People can get in touch on my website to start one of their loved one.

I’m looking forward to my mother having a more solid care in place that allows me to focus on living life to its fullest.
Thank you!

Pricing:

• Pet Portraits in Oil on Belgian Linen starting at $395
• Original paintings from 195- 10,000

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.maycharters.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maycharters/
• Other: http://maychartersfineart.com