Italy / Tunisia
Maya Talem is an Italian-Tunisian actress whose work moves fluidly across European, Arab, and international film and television. Born in Tunisia and raised in Italy, she carries a distinctive cultural identity into every role. Fluent in Italian, English, Arabic, and French, Talem has forged a career that crosses borders as naturally as it crosses languages — marked by emotional depth, elegance, and a magnetic screen presence.
The beginnings.
Trained at Fondamenta – La Scuola dell'Attore in Rome, Talem stepped into Italian television in 2012 with a featured role in Non Uccidere, playing Amina, a young woman torn between a forbidden love and her family's opposition. The series later found a second life on Netflix.
In the years that followed, Talem became a familiar presence on Rai 1, Rai 2, and Rai Cinema, appearing in Un Passo dal Cielo, Il Bello delle Donne, and Che Dio ci Aiuti, while also stepping into Italian cinema with Tutto Molto Bello and Il Gatto e la Luna. A turning point came with L'Alligatore, where she played Silvia, wife of the series' lead — one of her first roles of real dramatic weight, and a clear signal of the more complex characters to come.
A world of stories.
Talem's career then turned outward, bridging Italy and the Arab world. In Egyptian cinema, she took a lead role in the action film Pharaoh's War alongside Mike Tyson, Amr Saad, and Ruby, playing Raghdah, wife to Amr Saad's character. Her presence in the region grew through Cairo: Kabul, Al Jasous, Al Aaedoun, and the film Bolice.
Among her most significant international credits is The Goat, directed by Ilaria Borrelli, alongside Mira Sorvino, John Savage, Amr Saad, Nelly Karim, and Fathy Abdel Wahab. As Rabab Saube, mother of the young protagonist, Talem confronted themes of violence against women and female dignity — a performance recognized with an award at the Rome Film Festival.
She has also received several other awards, including the Nations Award in Taormina and the Artis Suavitas Civitas award, and was later invited back as godmother of a following edition of the Nations Award.
In 2025, Talem continued to build her presence in the Arab world, playing Faten in the Egyptian series Ish Ish, alongside a celebrated ensemble led by Mai Omar.
A new chapter
MaseratiThe Brothers
An actress.
A voice.
Many worlds.
With Maserati: The Brothers, directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Bobby Moresco alongside Anthony Hopkins, Al Pacino, Jessica Alba, Andy Garcia, Michele Morrone, and Salvatore Esposito, Talem steps into the most significant chapter of her career. She stars as Rosa, wife of Ettore Maserati, in one of the film's central love stories — a role that allows her to bring her full dramatic range to the international stage for the first time.
The film also reveals another facet of her talent: alongside her role as Rosa, Talem performs a song in Italian and English within the story, and lends her voice — in Arabic — to the film's official single, a multilingual collaboration with Andrea Bocelli and Jennifer Hudson written by Academy Award-nominated songwriter Diane Warren. Three artists, three languages, one song — a fitting emblem of the identity Talem has built her career on.
Maserati: The Brothers marks a defining moment for Maya Talem, placing her alongside some of the biggest names in international cinema and opening the door to a truly global audience. Across cultures, languages, and disciplines, she continues to establish herself as an artist capable of bridging Europe, the Arab world, and global cinema — bringing a singular identity and a deeply personal sensitivity to every role she takes on.