Isabel May Movies and TV Shows: Full List and Roles

Isabel May has built an audience one role at a time, first as Katie Cooper on Netflix’s Alexa & Katie, then as Georgie Cooper’s love interest on Young Sheldon. She broke through to millions of fans as Elsa Dutton—the narrator guiding viewers through 1883 and 1923—and that role positioned her as a central figure in the Yellowstone franchise.

Breakthrough TV Role: Katie Cooper in Alexa & Katie (2018) ·
Recurring Role: Veronica Duncan in Young Sheldon (2017) ·
Major Series: 1883 and 1923 ·
Key Films: Run Hide Fight, I Want You Back ·
Film Debut: Age of Summer (2018)

What is Isabel May famous for?

Isabel May built her early reputation in two very different TV worlds—light comedy and prestige drama. Her first major screen role put her front and center as Katie Cooper, the title character’s best friend in Netflix’s Alexa & Katie, which ran for two seasons starting in 2018. That part gave her 39 episodes to hone her timing in front of a streaming audience, and it remains her acting and television debut Rotten Tomatoes.

Alexa & Katie

The Netflix original paired co-creator Tara Hyer’s daughter with a character who became the show’s emotional anchor alongside lead actress embers. May played Katie Cooper as a fiercely loyal friend navigating the same teen pressures as her peers. The show ran from 2018 to 2020, giving May a runway of nearly 40 episodes in a starring-adjacent role before she ever set foot on a Yellowstone ranch.

Young Sheldon

Just before Alexa & Katie premiered, May began appearing on CBS’s Young Sheldon as Veronica Duncan. She showed up across seasons 2 and 3 (2018–2020), logging 9 episodes as the love interest of Georgie Cooper, Sheldon’s older brother Wikipedia. The sitcom setting contrasted sharply with the Western terrain she’d later inhabit, and reviewers noted that her scenes helped round out Georgie’s character arc during those seasons R. Couri Hay blog.

Isabel May movies and TV shows

Across film and television, May has stacked an eclectic filmography in just over six years. Her credits span independent features, streaming originals, and a pair of Paramount+ Western dramas that have become some of the most-watched series on any platform. Here’s a complete look at where she’s appeared.

Television roles

The television table below shows how May’s career has grown from sitcom guest spots to franchise leads across the Yellowstone universe.

The television table makes one thing clear: the Yellowstone universe has become May’s professional home. Her role as Elsa Dutton spans two full prequel series and bleeds into the parent show itself, even when her credit is vocal rather than physical.

Film roles

May’s film credits reveal a preference for smaller, character-driven projects before stepping into franchise territory.

The filmography reveals a pattern: May has gravitated toward smaller, character-driven projects before stepping into franchise territory. Run Hide Fight, her first starring film role, premiered at the Venice Film Festival and earned her industry attention despite a mixed critical reception Rotten Tomatoes. By contrast, I Want You Back landed with 87% on Rotten Tomatoes—a signal that her comedic instincts are sharper in the right material Rotten Tomatoes.

Is Isabel May in Yellowstone?

Direct answer: no, she’s not in the main Yellowstone series as a physical character. But the connection runs deeper than a simple no. Her Elsa Dutton appears in the Yellowstone orbit through two prequel series—1883 and 1923—and she actually did show up in Yellowstone itself, just not in a way most viewers would recognize.

Connection to Yellowstone universe

May played Elsa Dutton across 10 episodes of 1883 (2021–2022) and 13 episodes of 1923 (2022–2025) Wikipedia. In both series, her character serves as narrator—guiding viewers through the Dutton family origins through voiceover that frames each episode. That’s a significant burden for an actor who was barely out of her teens when 1883 filming began.

Her role in the Yellowstone timeline is technically ongoing: she appears in one episode of the main series as well, credited as herself (or rather, as Elsa Dutton’s voice) in 2024 Wikipedia. The appearance is uncredited, meaning it likely functions as a flashback or voiceover bridge between the prequel era and the present-day events of the flagship show.

Who was the girl at the beginning of 1883?

The opening of 1883 features a young woman riding ahead of a wagon train through open plains, her hair catching the wind, her posture straight in the saddle. That character is Elsa Dutton, and she is the series’ emotional center.

Role in 1883

Elsa Dutton is the daughter of James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret (Faith Hill) Dutton, making her the ancestor of the modern-day Duttons viewers follow in Yellowstone. May’s portrayal defined the character as an optimist with a rebellious streak, someone who refuses to accept the limits 19th-century gender norms tried to impose on her Country Living.

The role demanded physical stamina—horseback riding across difficult terrain, long days on set, and the emotional weight of a character whose arc ends tragically. May has described the experience as transformative, saying it reshaped how she approached the craft R. Couri Hay blog. The series ran for 10 episodes in its first season, and May appeared in every single one—a workload that would challenge even veteran performers.

She reprised the role in 1923, though this time primarily as narrator rather than a physical presence. The series continues the Dutton family saga across a different historical period, with May’s voice guiding viewers through 13 episodes Wikipedia.

What did Isabel May refuse to apologize for?

During press for 1883, May made headlines for refusing to apologize for scenes that included nudity—a choice she defended publicly. The comments sparked conversation in fan communities and industry circles alike.

1883 comments

May stated clearly that she would not apologize for performing the role as written, including scenes that some viewers found unexpected for the period setting. Her position drew praise from defenders of artistic freedom and criticism from those who felt the content didn’t match the Western genre’s typical audience expectations.

The controversy played out against the backdrop of 1883’s critical success. The series earned strong viewership numbers on Paramount+, and May’s performance contributed to her winning Outstanding Actress in a Made for Television Movie/Limited-Series at the 24th Women’s Image Network Awards Wikipedia. The award, voted on by peers and industry professionals, offered an institutional counterweight to the public debate.

Looking at the full scope of May’s filmography, the pattern is unmistakable: she chose roles that let her grow into heavier material rather than staying in comfortable genre territory. Alexa & Katie gave her streaming visibility. Young Sheldon gave her ensemble comedy chops. Then 1883 handed her a career-defining role that tested her dramatic range across a full season of prestige television.

For viewers following the Yellowstone franchise, May is now woven into its narrative backbone. For film audiences, her next moves—Scream 7, The Last Mrs. Parrish, Love Language—will test whether her dramatic instincts translate to wider theatrical releases. The actors who make that leap successfully tend to be the ones who chose their earlier roles wisely.