Her older sister, Maria (1879–1958), who acted under the stage name Mitzi Telmont, was the second wife of the comedian Heinrich Eisenbach.

While attending high school, she began receiving ballet lessons from Louise Übermasser.

In 1915, Joe May founded the film company May-Film Gmb, which Mia May became managing director of.

May appeared in films such as Hilde Warren und der Tod (1917), which was written by Fritz Lang, The Beggar Countess (1918), The Platonic Marriage (1919), Veritas Vincit (1919), and Tragedy of Love (1923) with Emil Jannings and a young Marlene Dietrich.

For a time, she was as popular as actresses Asta Nielsen, Henny Porten, and Pola Negri.

In 1949, Mia and Joe opened the Blue Danube restaurant in Los Angeles, but it was unsuccessful, and closed shortly after.