John  May was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Both his dad, Henry, and his mom Alene, worked for AT&T. At age seven, Alene enrolled John in music lessons.  From that early age onward, he immersed himself in all forms of music and theatre, ultimately earning 3 university degrees in music.  John then spent 20 years teaching secondary music, and 18 years working in fine arts administration.

 

Dr. John May is currently active as a clinician, guest conductor, and staff development leader in central Texas.  He retired in 2016 as the Senior Executive Director of Fine Arts for the San Antonio Independent School District.  The district serves approximately 55,000 students on 101 campuses.  Prior to this appointment he worked in Austin ISD, where he was first Coordinator of Choral and Elementary Music, and later Supervisor of Fine Arts.  

 

John responded to a casting call for background actors with the Robert Rodriquez movie Alita Battle Angel, and he was selected. Having previous experience in theatre, he was fascinated by the processes used in film making.  And as his scenes were being shot, John remembered the plays in which he had performed and how much he enjoyed acting.

 

He enrolled in film acting lessons with Mona Lee Fultz, a Juilliard trained movie actress at her studio in Austin. “John is a handsome, mature man good for portraying doctors, lawyers, scientists, politicians, detectives, and wise grandpas. Being a singer, he has a deep resonate voice, mixed in with some Texas friendliness,” says Mona, his coach.  He has worked on the films Alita Battle Angel, Laser Team II, The Plague Rages, and Homebody.  For television, he has worked on The Son, Panic, Detective Diaries, Walker, and Love and Death.

 

 John would like to thank his wife, Sandy, for not leaving him as he spends increasingly more time in classes, rehearsals, and performances!