Greek actress Irène Papas died on Wednesday September 14 at the age of 93, in Chiliomodi, Greece. She became famous for her roles in internationally acclaimed films, such as The Cannons of Navarone (1961) by J. Lee Thompson and especially Zorba the Greek (1964) by Michael Cacoyannis with Anthony Quinn.
She ” personified Greek beauty on screen and on stage “, reacted the Greek Minister of Culture. The actress, whose career has spanned six decades, broke onto the international scene in the early 1950s with DeadCitythe first Greek film presented at the Cannes Film Festival.
will then follow The cannons of Navarone in 1961. She played the role of a dark-eyed Greek guerrilla alongside Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn. A role that marked his career. She will then tour with filmmakers like Michel Cacoyannis in Zorba the Greekthen with Costa Gavras five years later in Zalongside Yves Montand.
Irène Papas, whose real name was Irène Lelekou, was born in 1929 in the village of Chiliomodi, near Corinth, into a family of teachers. One of the best-known Greek actresses abroad, alongside Mélina Mercouri, starred in around 60 films during her career, which spanned six decades. She shared the bill with renowned comedians like Richard Burton, Kirk Douglas, James Cagney and Jon Voigt.
Endowed with a deep voice and a piercing gaze, Irène Papas was a politically committed woman, in particular against the dictatorship of the colonels in her country. She was forced into exile when the military junta took power in her country in 1967. Irène Papas has received numerous awards, including Best Actress in 1961 at the Berlin Festival and a Golden Lion in Venice in 2009 rewarding his entire career.