Corinne Massiah is an American actress best known for portraying May Grant on ABC’s hit emergency drama 9-1-1. Born on March 13, 2003, in Los Angeles, California, Massiah began acting as a child and built an impressive television résumé before reaching adulthood. ABC identifies her as the actress behind May Grant, while its official biography also highlights her appearances in Secrets and Lies, Pitch, Mistresses, NCIS, and CSI: NY.
Massiah became particularly recognizable through 9-1-1, where her character is the daughter of Athena Grant, played by Angela Bassett. Over the course of the series, May develops from a teenager dealing with family and personal struggles into a young adult who takes on serious responsibilities. Her storyline has given Massiah opportunities to portray emotional family conflicts, career challenges, and high-pressure emergency situations. Her performance has helped make May one of the show’s more developed younger characters.
Corinne Massiah’s Early Acting Career
Corinne Massiah started acting at a young age, with IMDb’s biography stating that she booked her first television audition at eight years old on the CBS crime drama CSI: NY. She later appeared as a guest star on NCIS. Her early career also included television commercials before she began taking on larger acting opportunities. These early experiences gave her a foundation in both television production and professional performance.
Her career continued to grow through a mixture of recurring television roles and film appearances. According to her biography, she appeared in the ABC sitcom pilot Keeping It Together, followed by work in Adventures in Love & Babysitting and the ABC drama Mistresses. She later took recurring roles in Pitch and Secrets and Lies, showing that she could move between different types of television stories rather than becoming associated with only one genre.
Corinne Massiah Career Snapshot
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Corinne Elizabeth Maude Massiah |
| Born | March 13, 2003 |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California |
| Profession | Actress |
| Best-known role | May Grant in 9-1-1 |
| Major network | ABC |
| Education | UCLA |
| Notable films | G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Bad Hair |
Sources: ABC, ABC Press and IMDb.
Her Breakthrough Role as May Grant
The role that brought Corinne Massiah her widest recognition is May Grant in 9-1-1. The series follows firefighters, police officers, paramedics, dispatchers, and their families as they respond to dangerous emergencies. Massiah’s May is part of the Grant family, which places her directly within several of the show’s major personal storylines. ABC officially lists Massiah as May Grant in the show’s cast.
May’s development has also allowed Massiah to take on more mature material. In one major storyline, May works as a 9-1-1 dispatcher and must remain calm while dealing with emergencies through the phone. TheWrap’s interview with Massiah about the sixth season discussed an episode in which May faces a dangerous situation involving a troubled peer. Massiah explained how the storyline demonstrated May’s ability to remain composed under pressure and highlighted the changing relationship between May and her mother, Athena.
Corinne Massiah on 9-1-1
One of the most interesting aspects of Corinne Massiah’s role on 9-1-1 is the way May has grown alongside the actress. Rather than remaining a background family character, May has received increasingly substantial storylines. Her work as a dispatcher places her close to the show’s central emergency-response structure, while her relationship with Athena gives the series an opportunity to explore family dynamics from a younger perspective.
Massiah has also discussed how May’s experiences changed her character. In her interview with TheWrap, she described May’s decision to step away from dispatch work and explore college as an important moment. The storyline reflected May’s attempt to consider her future while recognizing the emotional weight that came with handling traumatic emergency calls.
Education and Life Beyond Acting
While acting became an important part of Massiah’s life at an early age, education also played a major role in her journey. ABC reports that she stepped away from 9-1-1 for two seasons to complete her degree and eventually graduated from UCLA. Her return to the series as a regular cast member marked an important transition in both her personal and professional development.
That decision makes her career path somewhat different from many young performers who remain focused exclusively on acting. Massiah demonstrated that she could take time away from a successful television series to complete her education and then return to a familiar role. Her experience shows how a young actor can balance professional opportunities with long-term personal goals.
Corinne Massiah’s Movies and TV Shows
Before and alongside 9-1-1, Corinne Massiah appeared in several television and film projects. ABC lists Mistresses, Secrets and Lies, and Pitch among her notable television credits, while her film work includes G.I. Joe: Retaliation and the 2020 horror-comedy Bad Hair.
Her filmography demonstrates the gradual progression of her career. She moved from child and guest roles into recurring characters and eventually became a series regular on a major network drama. That progression helped her develop experience across different formats and genres, giving her a broader foundation as an actress.
Selected Acting Credits
- 9-1-1 — May Grant
- Mistresses — Lucy Malloy
- Secrets and Lies — Young Amanda
- Pitch — Young Ginny
- CSI: NY — television debut
- NCIS — guest role
- G.I. Joe: Retaliation
- Bad Hair (2020)
Her Return to 9-1-1
After taking time away from the show to complete her degree, Corinne Massiah returned to 9-1-1 as a series regular. ABC’s official biography specifically confirms this career move and notes her graduation from UCLA. Her return allowed the writers to continue May’s story while presenting the character at a more mature stage of life.
Her continued presence also keeps the Grant family central to the series. With Angela Bassett’s Athena serving as one of the show’s leading characters, May provides an important connection between Athena’s professional life and her role as a mother. This family relationship remains one of the recurring emotional elements of 9-1-1.
Why Corinne Massiah Stands Out
Corinne Massiah stands out because her career has developed steadily over more than a decade. She began with small television opportunities, expanded into recurring roles, appeared in feature films, and eventually became closely associated with one of ABC’s major dramas. Her ability to portray May through different stages of life has also allowed audiences to watch her acting develop over time.
Her career also reflects a balance between entertainment and education. Instead of treating early success as the only priority, Massiah completed her degree before returning to the television series that made her widely known. With 9-1-1 continuing to feature May Grant, her career remains active and gives her room to explore new opportunities beyond the role that first brought her widespread attention.
Conclusion
Corinne Massiah has built her career through persistence, early television experience, and a defining role on 9-1-1. From her first television appearance on CSI: NY to recurring roles in Mistresses, Pitch, and Secrets and Lies, she gradually developed a diverse acting résumé. Her portrayal of May Grant ultimately became her signature role and gave her the opportunity to work alongside Angela Bassett and a strong ensemble cast.
Her decision to complete her degree at UCLA before returning to 9-1-1 adds another important dimension to her story. Today, Corinne Massiah remains best known as May Grant, but her career includes considerably more than one television character. Her early start, varied credits, and continued development suggest that there is still plenty of room for the actress to expand her work in the years ahead.
FAQs
1. Who is Corinne Massiah?
Corinne Massiah is an American actress best known for playing May Grant on ABC’s 9-1-1.
2. How old is Corinne Massiah?
She was born on March 13, 2003.
3. What is Corinne Massiah famous for?
She is best known for her role as May Grant, Athena Grant’s daughter, on 9-1-1.
4. Did Corinne Massiah attend college?
Yes. ABC states that she graduated from UCLA after stepping away from 9-1-1 for two seasons to complete her degree.
