Greek actor Irene Papas dies aged 96
Irene Papas
14 Sep 2022
/ 10:57
The great Greek actor Irene Papas has died at the age of 96.
Papas was born as Irene Lelekou in the village of Chiliomodi, outside Corinth and spent the last years of her life in the village suffering from Alzheimers.
She began at the age of 15 as a radio producer, singer and dancer at various events. Meanwhile, she took classes at the School of Dramatic Art in Athens, which was then called the National School of Classical Drama, with such great teachers as Giorgos Glinos, Nikolaos Paraskevas, Peli Katseli and Dimitris Rontiris.
She was one of the few Greek female actors to gain international recognition and was more widely recognised internationally than at home. She received the honours of Commander of the Order of the Phoenix from the then President of Greece Kostis Stefanopoulos in 1995.
In 2008 she won the Premio Roma International Award, which was presented to her at the Ostia Antica ancient theatre in Italy. When she received the award she said: "I don't know whether I should laugh or cry, I can only say that Athens will always be my mother but Rome is my second mother by my own choice."
She worked with several Italian directors and was well-loved in the country, where she was called Bella Greca and Irene Nostra (our own Irene). It was to Italy that she went in the years of the junta as she was a supporter of communism.
She spent her last active years in Portugal to support the theatre she set up there to perform ancient tragedies.
In 2000 she was named "Europe's Woman" and in 2009 she was presented with the Golden Lion career award by the director Maurizio Scaparro at the Venice Biennale.
In total she received over 24 awards and prizes.
Source: in.gr
She began at the age of 15 as a radio producer, singer and dancer at various events. Meanwhile, she took classes at the School of Dramatic Art in Athens, which was then called the National School of Classical Drama, with such great teachers as Giorgos Glinos, Nikolaos Paraskevas, Peli Katseli and Dimitris Rontiris.
She was one of the few Greek female actors to gain international recognition and was more widely recognised internationally than at home. She received the honours of Commander of the Order of the Phoenix from the then President of Greece Kostis Stefanopoulos in 1995.
In 2008 she won the Premio Roma International Award, which was presented to her at the Ostia Antica ancient theatre in Italy. When she received the award she said: "I don't know whether I should laugh or cry, I can only say that Athens will always be my mother but Rome is my second mother by my own choice."
She worked with several Italian directors and was well-loved in the country, where she was called Bella Greca and Irene Nostra (our own Irene). It was to Italy that she went in the years of the junta as she was a supporter of communism.
She spent her last active years in Portugal to support the theatre she set up there to perform ancient tragedies.
In 2000 she was named "Europe's Woman" and in 2009 she was presented with the Golden Lion career award by the director Maurizio Scaparro at the Venice Biennale.
In total she received over 24 awards and prizes.
Source: in.gr
