Irene Papas
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.
Photos
Movies (72)
1821 at the Cinema
2021 · (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
2021
Il falso bugiardo
2008 · Self (archive footage)
A Talking Picture
2003 · Helena
...and the train leaves for the sky
2001 · Elena Michailovna
La mandolina del capitán Corelli
2001 · Drosoula
Yerma
1999 · Vieja pagana
Inquietude
1998 · Mother
Party
1996 · Irene
Jacob
1994 · Rebekka
Un Amore Rubato
1993
Lettera da Parigi
1993 · Gina
Up, Down and Sideways
1992 · Μαρία
Island
1989 · Marquise
Plato's Banquet
1989 · Diotime
High Season
1987 · Penelope
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
1987 · Madre de Angela
Sweet Country
1987 · Mrs. Araya
A Child Called Jesus
1987 · Old Maria
The Assisi Underground
1985 · Mother Giuseppina
Into the Night
1985 · Shaheen Parvici
Afghanistan For What?
1984
Erendira
1983 · Grandmother Amadis
The Deserter
1983 · Mariangela
The Balad of Mamelouk
1982 · Mamluk's Mother
Lion of the Desert
1981 · Mabrouka
L'assistente sociale tutto pepe...
1981 · La Signora
Ring of Darkness
1979 · Raffaella
Bloodline
1979 · Simonetta Palazzi
Christ Stopped at Eboli
1979 · Giulia Venere
Iphigenia
1977 · Klytaimnistra
Blood Wedding
1977 · La mère
Moses the Lawgiver
1976 · Zippora
The Message
1976 · Hind
Bambina
1974 · Raimonda Spina
The Battle of Sutjeska
1973 · Borina majka
1931: Once Upon a Time in New York
1973 · Donna Mimma
Don't Torture a Duckling
1972 · Dona Aurelia Avallone
N.P. - The Secret
1972 · Casalinga
The Murder of Julius Caesar
1972 · Calpurnia
Roma bene
1971 · Elena Teopoulos
Oasis of Fear
1971 · Barbara Slater
The Trojan Women
1971 · Helen
Anne of the Thousand Days
1969 · Queen Catherine
A Dream of Kings
1969 · Caliope
The Odyssey
1969 · Penelope
Z
1969 · Hélène
Behold Man - The Survivors
1969 · Anna
Le avventure di Ulisse
1969 · Penelope
The Brotherhood
1968 · Ida Ginetta
The Desperate Ones
1967 · Ajmi
Witness Out of Hell
1967 · Lea Weiss
We Still Kill the Old Way
1967 · Luisa Roscio
Trap for the Assassin
1966 · Julia de Noirville
The Steps
1966 · Joana
Zorba the Greek
1964 · Widow
The Moon-Spinners
1964 · Sophia
Electra
1962 · Elektra
Antigone
1961 · Antigone
The Guns of Navarone
1961 · Maria Pappadimos
Bouboulina
1959 · Laskarina Bouboulina
Pssst ... girls!
1959 · Eleni
The Lake of Sighs
1959 · Frosyni
Tribute to a Bad Man
1956 · Jocasta Constantine
The Missing Scientists
1954 · Gina
Attila
1954 · Grune
Theodora, Slave Empress
1954 · Faidia
Vortice
1953 · Clara
The Man From Cairo
1953 · Yvonne Lebeau
The Unfaithfuls
1953 · Luisa Azzali
Dead City
1951 · Lena
Fallen Angels
1948 · Liana
TV shows (14)
Short Cuts
2002 · Pensioner
The Odyssey
1997 · Anticlea
Enopios Enopio
1991 · Guest
Oceano
1989 · Aurelia Perdomo
La Valise en carton
1988 · Maria Amélia, la mère de Linda
Ein Kind mit Namen Jesus
1987 · Old Maria
Sacrée soirée
1987 · Self
Champs-Elysées
1982 · Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1975 · Self
Moses the Lawgiver
1974 · Zipporah
The Odyssey
1968 · Penelope
MGM Parade
1955 · self
Climax!
1954 · Maxanne York
Reflets de Cannes
1954 · Self