Irene Papas
Acting
Born: September 3, 1929 · Chiliomodi, Corinth, Greece
Died: September 14, 2022 (aged 93)
Highest Rated
Biography
Irene Papas or Pappas (Greek: Ειρήνη Παππά, romanized: Eiríni Pappá, born Eirini Lelekou [Ειρήνη Λελέκου]; 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a distinguished Greek actress and singer whose international career spanned more than five decades and encompassed over 70 films. She gained worldwide recognition for her passionate, statuesque performances and her classical Greek beauty, becoming one of the most iconic figures in Greek and international cinema. Born in Chiliomodi, Corinthia, she studied at the National Theatre Drama School. She began her career in theatre and film in the late 1940s. She achieved international acclaim through her collaboration with director Michael Cacoyannis, starring in film adaptations of ancient tragedies such as "Electra" (1962), "Iphigenia" (1977), and "The Trojan Women" (1971)—the latter alongside Katharine Hepburn and Vanessa Redgrave. At the same time, she appeared in major international productions such as "The Guns of Navarone" (1961)—alongside Gregory Peck and Anthony Quinn—Michael Cacoyannis’s "Zorba the Greek" (1964), Costa-Gavras’s political thriller "Z" (1969), and the epic production "The Message" (1976). Beyond acting, she also distinguished herself in music, collaborating with renowned artists such as Vangelis Papathanassiou (on the album "Odes") and Mikis Theodorakis. Irene Papas received numerous awards at international festivals, including the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2009. She passed away in 2022 at the age of 93, leaving behind an invaluable cultural legacy.
Known for
The Guns of Navarone
1961
The Odyssey
1997
Z
1969
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
2001
Don't Torture a Duckling
1972
The Message
1976
Zorba the Greek
1964
Into the Night
1985
Lion of the Desert
1981
Anne of the Thousand Days
1969
We Still Kill the Old Way
1967
Christ Stopped at Eboli
1979
Photos (8)
Movies (70)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Drosoula
The Guns of Navarone
Maria Pappadimos
Zorba the Greek
Widow
Into the Night
Shaheen Parvici
A Dream of Kings
Caliope
Bloodline
Simonetta Palazzi
Lion of the Desert
Mabrouka
Don't Torture a Duckling
Dona Aurelia Avallone
The Message
Hind
Roma bene
Elena Teopoulos
The Trojan Women
Helen
Electra
Elektra
We Still Kill the Old Way
Luisa Roscio
A Talking Picture
Helena
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Madre de Angela
Inquietude
Mother
Oasis of Fear
Barbara Slater
Anne of the Thousand Days
Queen Catherine
Z
Hélène
Bambina
Raimonda Spina
Theodora, Slave Empress
Faidia
Tribute to a Bad Man
Jocasta Constantine
Ring of Darkness
Raffaella
Yerma
Vieja pagana
Iphigenia
Klytaimnistra
Jacob
Rebekka
The Battle of Sutjeska
Borina majka
Moses the Lawgiver
Zippora
Party
Irene
The Moon-Spinners
Sophia
Le avventure di Ulisse
Penelope
Christ Stopped at Eboli
Giulia Venere
The Odyssey
Penelope
Lettera da Parigi
Gina
The Murder of Julius Caesar
Calpurnia
L'assistente sociale tutto pepe...
La Signora
The Assisi Underground
Mother Giuseppina
Attila
Grune
The Brotherhood
Ida Ginetta
Plato's Banquet
Diotime
The Man From Cairo
Yvonne Lebeau
The Balad of Mamelouk
Mamluk's Mother
Vortice
Clara
Island
Marquise
High Season
Penelope
The Unfaithfuls
Luisa Azzali
1821 at the Cinema
(archive footage)
Sweet Country
Mrs. Araya
Behold Man - The Survivors
Anna
A Child Called Jesus
Old Maria
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
N.P. - The Secret
Casalinga
Witness Out of Hell
Lea Weiss
Fallen Angels
Liana
The Desperate Ones
Ajmi
Antigone
Antigone
Trap for the Assassin
Julia de Noirville
Pssst ... girls!
Eleni
The Deserter
Mariangela
Erendira
Grandmother Amadis
Dead City
Lena
1931: Once Upon a Time in New York
Donna Mimma
...and the train leaves for the sky
Elena Michailovna
Afghanistan For What?
1984
Bouboulina
Laskarina Bouboulina
The Missing Scientists
Gina
The Lake of Sighs
Frosyni
The Steps
Joana
Up, Down and Sideways
Μαρία
Blood Wedding
La mère
TV Shows (8)
Climax!
Maxanne York · 1 eps
The Odyssey
Anticlea · 2 eps
The Odyssey
Penelope · 8 eps
Moses the Lawgiver
Zipporah · 7 eps
Oceano
Aurelia Perdomo · 6 eps
Ein Kind mit Namen Jesus
Old Maria · 4 eps
Enopios Enopio
Guest · 1 eps
La Valise en carton
Maria Amélia, la mère de Linda · 6 eps
