Irene Papas
Actress of Albanian origin.
Irene Papas was born Eirini Lelekou on 3 September 1929 in the village of Chiliomodi, near Corinth, Greece.
The family moved to Athens when Irene was about seven years old, where at age 15 she enrolled in the National Theatre of Greece Drama School, studying drama, dance, and singing. Papas, known for her independent spirit, found the school’s traditional methods formal and even had to repeat a year,but she graduated in 1948.
Papas began in the arts as a singer, dancer, and radio producer in her teens. Her film debut came in 1948 with Fallen Angels, directed by Nikos Tsiforos. Her breakout role arrived with “Dead City” (1952), which gained acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival and brought her international attention. Following this, she signed with Italian production company Lux Film, appearing in sword-and-sandal epics like Theodora, Slave Empress and Attila in the mid-1950s; though in supporting roles, they expanded her European presence
Irene’s Hollywood debut came in 1956 with Tribute to a Bad Man, starring opposite James Cagney . Her prominence soared with “The Guns of Navarone” (1961), alongside Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn, followed by her landmark performance in “Zorba” the Greek (1964), which earned her global acclaim .
She continued to define powerful classical roles in Michael Cacoyannis’s Greek tragedies, “Electra” (1962), “The Trojan Women” (1971), and “Iphigenia” (1976), her expressive presence embodying ancient myth for modern audiences
Beyond film, Papas shone on Broadway in performances of “Medea” (1973) and “The Bacchae” (1980), both by Euripides and directed by Cacoyannis. Critics praised her “controlled intensity” and powerful presence.
She also played Penelope in the acclaimed TV miniseries “The Odyssey” (1968) alongside Bekim Fehmiu. In the 1970s onward, she played supporting yet memorable roles, such as in “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” (1987) and “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” (2001), before concluding her screen career with “A Talking Picture” (2003).
Irene Papas passed away on 14 September 2022 at age 93 or early reports stated 96, as the Greek Culture Ministry confirmed.
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Albanian Cinematography in activity since 2013
Sources: Information gathered from the Internet and various newspaper include photos.
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