May-Linda Kosumovic was born and raised in Canada. At a young age her parents decided to move back to their birthplace, Kosovo, where she would graduate from the Academy of Arts in 2014. Since then, she has been the lead in many critically acclaimed films which have traveled to major international film festivals. She parallelly performed on stage for various plays at the National Theatre of Kosovo, where she has been a resident from 2015. Moreover, she has 5 national and international awards for film and theatre performances. Kosumovic was also cast for a dominant part in the HBO Europe original series “Welcome to Utmark” directed by the prominent Icelandic director Dagur Kári, which has premiered in April 2021. Lately, May-Linda has been preparing for several upcoming feature films which will commence in the very near future.

NY Elite: Can you tell us about you and growing up?

May-Linda Kosumovic: I was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. I had an upbringing that drastically differed from the life I started after going to Kosovo. It was not an easy transition but I’ve learned and gained immensely from it, and after a very short period of time I fell in love with Prishtina and I really don’t think I can see myself living anywhere else. 

NY Elite: What are you latest and current movie projects?

May-Linda Kosumovic: Some films I have played in are: 

Lost Exile 

A Performance

A Month

Only Human

The Flying Circus

A Dream

Salon

Sisterhood

Welcome to Utmark – HBO Europe Series

My latest project are:

“The land within me” directed by Fisnik Maxville

“Era” directed by Parta Kelmendi

“Sirin” directed by Senad Sahmanovic

“Hotline” directed by Dren Zherka

There are so many projects that are very dear to me, from both theatre and film. A theatre performance that I deeply appreciate and am also emotionally attached to is “Mother and Child” directed by Bekim Lumi. The process was one of the most extended I have ever worked on, it took us six months of relentless rehearsals to finally get to the opening night. Regardless of all the hard work, both physically and emotionally, I gained and learned a great deal about acting and ways to explore and expand during the process. 

NY Elite: Can you tell us about your character in the series?

May-Linda Kosumovic: Elena is the role I played in “Welcome to Utmark”. She and Drita are two trafficked Albanians that start living in this very rural and strange town in Norway. From the beginning of the series their story and struggles for survival in this town starts to unravel. 

The script was very well written and the roles in particular. There was so much to play with, it was basically an emotional rollercoaster. And that’s what I enjoyed most. 

NY Elite: What do you enjoy most about your acting career?

May-Linda Kosumovic: Doing something you enjoy for a living – genuinely it feels like I’m getting paid, yet I’m not working.

NY Elite: What other hobbies and interests do you have? 

May-Linda Kosumovic: I have plenty of hobbies actually. I’m very committed to learning new things and I like to keep myself busy especially when I have big gaps in between projects. I do yoga almost every day, swim whenever I get the chance to. I try to learn new languages and I’m a complete beginner in piano. 

NY Elite: Are you working on your next project now?

May-Linda Kosumovic: I am currently in Montenegro working on “Sirin” directed by: Senad Sahmanovic.

NY Elite: What causes/charities you actively support or feel strongly about?

May-Linda Kosumovic: I always have been supportive especially when it comes to causes that are related to social stigmatization and discrimination against minority groups. These are not things I only talk about with friends, but I also use my social media platforms to raise awareness. 

NY Elite: What do you do to relax?

May-Linda Kosumovic: When I need to decompress I try to spend as much quality time as I can with my family and friends.