Most Famous Mayas in the World

The name Maya shows up across film sets, music studios, design studios, and TV stages around the world. From groundbreaking filmmakers to charting singers and scene-stealing actors, these public figures have built careers that reach well beyond their home countries and languages.

Below is a curated roundup of notable Mayas working in entertainment and adjacent creative fields. Each profile highlights what they do, where they made their mark, and the projects or achievements that brought them global recognition.

Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph is an American actor, comedian, and singer who rose to prominence on ‘Saturday Night Live’, where she became known for wide-ranging character work and musical sketches. Her screen credits include ensemble comedies like ‘Bridesmaids’ and acclaimed voice roles in animated hits such as ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines’ and ‘Big Hero 6’. She has also led the workplace comedy ‘Loot’ and appeared in series including ‘Big Mouth’.

Beyond acting, Rudolph performs vocals with the Prince tribute band Princess and contributes to soundtracks. She has received multiple Primetime Emmy Awards for acting and voice performance, and her production banner Animal Pictures co-produces scripted television. She is a member of a multigenerational entertainment family, the daughter of singer Minnie Riperton and composer Richard Rudolph.

Maya Hawke

Maya Hawke is an American actor and singer-songwriter who broke out as Robin Buckley in ‘Stranger Things’. On film, she has worked with celebrated directors in titles like ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’, ‘Mainstream’, ‘Do Revenge’, and ‘Asteroid City’. She also voices characters in animated projects and appears in independent features across genres.

As a musician, Hawke writes and performs original material and tours internationally with her band. She has released full-length studio albums and multiple singles, often collaborating with producer and musician Jesse Harris. In addition to stage and studio work, she appears in music videos and live sessions that showcase her dual career in acting and music.

Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou was an American poet, memoirist, and performer whose first autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, became a modern classic. In screen work, she acted in the TV miniseries ‘Roots’ and directed the feature film ‘Down in the Delta’. She also wrote scripts and composed for stage and screen, contributing original work to productions throughout her career.

Angelou delivered readings and narrations for television and film and recorded spoken-word albums that earned Grammy Awards. Recognized with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, she served as a professor, lecturer, and cultural voice for decades, bringing literature into mainstream broadcast platforms and large public events.

Maya Deren

Maya Deren was a Ukrainian-born American filmmaker and theorist widely credited with shaping avant-garde cinema in the United States. Her short films, including ‘Meshes of the Afternoon’, ‘At Land’, and ‘Ritual in Transfigured Time’, used innovative editing and choreographic movement to explore dream logic and ritual. She received a Guggenheim Fellowship specifically for creative filmmaking, an early acknowledgment of film as a personal art form.

Deren lectured extensively on film theory and wrote about the medium’s capacity for poetry and dance on screen. She also shot ethnographic footage in Haiti, documenting ceremonial practices and influencing later nonfiction approaches. Her preservation efforts and touring exhibitions helped establish independent film circuits in museums and universities.

Maya Erskine

Maya Erskine is an American actor, writer, and producer best known as co-creator and star of the series ‘PEN15’, where she portrayed a middle-schooler and co-wrote numerous episodes. She later starred opposite Donald Glover in the TV adaptation of ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’, blending action and character comedy. Her filmography includes independent features and studio projects across comedy and drama.

Erskine’s behind-the-scenes work covers writing, producing, and voice acting for animation. She has received nominations and wins from major television award bodies for acting and writing. Trained in theater, she frequently collaborates with comedians and filmmakers on projects that mix grounded character work with heightened premises.

Maya Ali

Maya Ali is a Pakistani actor who built a major television following through lead roles in hit dramas such as ‘Mann Mayal’ and ‘Aun Zara’. She transitioned to film with the action-comedy ‘Teefa in Trouble’ and the ensemble romance ‘Parey Hut Love’, both of which performed strongly at the local box office and expanded her audience beyond TV.

Ali has fronted major brand campaigns and appears regularly on entertainment talk shows and festival circuits. Her performances have earned Lux Style Awards recognition and other regional honors. She engages in charity initiatives and uses social platforms to support education and health projects in Pakistan.

Maya Sansa

Maya Sansa is an Italian actor acclaimed for roles in films such as ‘Good Morning, Night’ and ‘The Best of Youth’, where she worked with leading Italian directors. She has appeared in international co-productions and English-language projects, bringing Italian cinema to global festival audiences. On television, she joined the literary adaptation ‘The Name of the Rose’, expanding her reach to broader European viewers.

Sansa’s career includes theater work and recurring collaborations with art-house filmmakers. She has received major Italian industry awards, including the David di Donatello, and is a fixture at Cannes and Venice for premieres and panels. Her multilingual performances allow her to take on scripts across Italian, French, and English markets.

Maya Karin

Maya Karin is a Malaysian actor and singer recognized for star turns in Malay-language cinema, notably the horror classic ‘Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam’ and the romantic drama ‘Ombak Rindu’. She has balanced genre roles with mainstream hits and independent projects, contributing to one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant film industries.

Karin has collected awards at the Malaysian Film Festival and the Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian, among others. In addition to acting, she releases music and appears on television programs and live events. She also advocates for environmental causes, lending her public profile to river and forest conservation campaigns.

Maya Plisetskaya

Maya Plisetskaya was a Russian ballet icon and longtime prima ballerina of the Bolshoi Ballet. Renowned for roles in Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and The Dying Swan, she combined virtuosity with distinctive musical phrasing and line. She expanded the classical repertoire by commissioning contemporary works and collaborating directly with choreographers and composers.

Plisetskaya later served as artistic director and choreographer, creating interpretations such as Carmen Suite. She received top state and international honors, published memoirs, and staged productions for companies in Europe and the Americas. Her recordings and filmed performances remain standard references in dance education.

Maya Jama

Maya Jama is a British television and radio presenter who hosts the reality dating series ‘Love Island’. She began on youth and music channels before moving to national radio and mainstream TV, anchoring live shows, backstage specials, and red-carpet coverage. She has also emceed awards ceremonies and fronted documentary segments.

Jama collaborates with fashion and beauty brands and has launched branded collections tied to her on-screen work. She supports charity initiatives focused on youth opportunities and health awareness and regularly appears at festivals, fan events, and international press junkets tied to the series she hosts.

Share your picks in the comments: which Maya did we miss, and who should be added to this list?