Papas, Irene (1926—)

Greek actress. Born Irene Lelekou on March 9, 1926, in Chiliomodion, Greece.

Selected filmography:

Lost Angels (Gr., 1950); Necropolitia (Dead City, Gr., 1951); Le Infedeli (It., 1953); Dramma nella Casbah (The Man from Cairo, It.US, 1953); Theodora Imperatrice di Bisanzio (Theodora Slave Empress, It., 1954); Attila (It., 1954); Tribute to a Bad Man (US, 1956); Antigone (Gr., 1960); The Guns of Navarone (UK-US, 1961); Electra (Gr., 1962); The Moon-Spinners (UK-US, 1964); Zorba the Greek (Gr.US, 1964); Mas alla de las Montanas (The Desperate Ones, Sp.-US, 1967); A ciascuno il suo (We Still Kill the Old Way, It., 1967); The Brotherhood (US, 1968); Z (Fr.-Alg., 1969); Anne of the Thousand Days (UK-US, 1969); A Dream of Kings (US, 1969); The Trojan Women (Fr.-US, 1971); Roma Bene (It.-Fr., 1971); Le Faro da Padre (Bambina, It., 1974); Moses (UK-It., 1976); The Message (Mohammad Messenger of God, UK, 1976); Iphigenia (Gr., 1977); Bloodline (US, 1979); Cristo sie fermato a Eboli (It.-Fr., 1979); Lion of the Desert (Libya-UK, 1980); Erendira (Pan.-Fr., 1983); Into the Night (US, 1985); The Assisi Underground (It.UK, 1985); Sweet Country (Pan.-Gr., 1986); High Season (UK, 1987); Cronica de una Muerte anunciada (Chronicle of a Death Foretold, It.-Fr., 1987); Island (Austral., 1989); Drums of Fire (UK, 1991); Zoe (UK, 1992); Up Down and Sideways (US, 1993).

An international actress acclaimed for her portrayals of some the most famous heroines of classical Greek drama, Irene Papas began her career as a teenager, singing and dancing in variety shows and only playing an occasional straight role. She made her first film, Lost Angels (1950), in Greece, and also appeared in several Italian films before signing a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Americans first viewed the actress in

Tribute to a Bad Man (1956) and The Guns of Navarone (1961), but it was her appearance in Electra (1962) and Zorba the Greek (1964), both of which were directed by Michael Cacoyannis, that established her as an international star. Papas, a striking woman whose intensity is frequently compared to that of Anna Magnani , went on to play leading roles in international productions and on the American stage and screen. As well, in 1979 she collaborated with Vangelis on Odes, a collection of songs dealing in part with the Greek resistance to the Ottoman Empire in the early 19th century and before. In 1986, she collaborated a second time with Vangelis for the album Rhapsodies, on which she sings Greek lyrics based on Greek Orthodox Christian hymns. On April 10, 2000, the European Cinema Panorama honored Papas for her lifetime achievement and contribution to cinema.