Irene Papas
71 movies · 8 TV shows
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Sep 3, 1929
- Died
- Sep 14, 2022 (age 93)
- Place of birth
- Chiliomodi, Corinth, Greece
- Also known as
- Ирен Папас · Ειρήνη Παπά · Ειρήνη Παππά · Eirini Leleku
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.
Read the full biography
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.
Profiles IMDb
Known for
Irene Papas: movies and TV shows
Acting (79)
- 2021 1821 at the Cinema
as (archive footage)
- 2021
- 2003 A Talking Picture
as Helena
- 2002
- 2001 ...and the train leaves for the sky
as Elena Michailovna
- 2001 Captain Corelli's Mandolin
as Drosoula
- 1999 Yerma
as Vieja pagana
- 1998 Inquietude
as Mother
- 1997
- 1996 Party
as Irene
- 1994 Jacob
as Rebekka
- 1993
- 1993 Lettera da Parigi
as Gina
- 1992 Up, Down and Sideways
as Μαρία
- 1989 Island
as Marquise
- 1989
- 1989 Plato's Banquet
as Diotime
- 1988
- 1987
- 1987 High Season
as Penelope
- 1987 Chronicle of a Death Foretold
as Madre de Angela
- 1987 Sweet Country
as Mrs. Araya
- 1987 A Child Called Jesus
as Old Maria
- 1985 The Assisi Underground
as Mother Giuseppina
- 1985 Into the Night
as Shaheen Parvici
- 1984
- 1983 Erendira
as Grandmother Amadis
- 1983 The Deserter
as Mariangela
- 1982 The Balad of Mamelouk
as Mamluk's Mother
- 1981 Lion of the Desert
as Mabrouka
- 1981 L'assistente sociale tutto pepe...
as La Signora
- 1979 Ring of Darkness
as Raffaella
- 1979 Bloodline
as Simonetta Palazzi
- 1979 Christ Stopped at Eboli
as Giulia Venere
- 1977 Iphigenia
as Klytaimnistra
- 1977 Blood Wedding
as La mère
- 1976 Moses the Lawgiver
as Zippora
- 1976 The Message
as Hind
- 1974
- 1974 Bambina
as Raimonda Spina
- 1973 The Battle of Sutjeska
as Borina majka
- 1973 1931: Once Upon a Time in New York
as Donna Mimma
- 1972 Don't Torture a Duckling
as Dona Aurelia Avallone
- 1972 N.P. - The Secret
as Casalinga
- 1972 The Murder of Julius Caesar
as Calpurnia
- 1971 Roma bene
as Elena Teopoulos
- 1971 Oasis of Fear
as Barbara Slater
- 1971 The Trojan Women
as Helen
- 1969 Anne of the Thousand Days
as Queen Catherine
- 1969 A Dream of Kings
as Caliope
- 1969 The Odyssey
as Penelope
- 1969 Z
as Hélène
- 1969 Behold Man - The Survivors
as Anna
- 1969 Le avventure di Ulisse
as Penelope
- 1968 The Brotherhood
as Ida Ginetta
- 1968
- 1967 The Desperate Ones
as Ajmi
- 1967 Witness Out of Hell
as Lea Weiss
- 1967 We Still Kill the Old Way
as Luisa Roscio
- 1966 Trap for the Assassin
as Julia de Noirville
- 1966 The Steps
as Joana
- 1964 Zorba the Greek
as Widow
- 1964 The Moon-Spinners
as Sophia
- 1962 Electra
as Elektra
- 1961 Antigone
as Antigone
- 1961 The Guns of Navarone
as Maria Pappadimos
- 1959 Bouboulina
as Laskarina Bouboulina
- 1959 Pssst ... girls!
as Eleni
- 1959 The Lake of Sighs
as Frosyni
- 1956 Tribute to a Bad Man
as Jocasta Constantine
- 1954 The Missing Scientists
as Gina
- 1954 Attila
as Grune
- 1954
- 1954 Theodora, Slave Empress
as Faidia
- 1953 Vortice
as Clara
- 1953 The Man From Cairo
as Yvonne Lebeau
- 1953 The Unfaithfuls
as Luisa Azzali
- 1951 Dead City
as Lena
- 1948 Fallen Angels
as Liana
Talk shows and appearances (7)
- 2008
- 1991 Enopios Enopio
1 episode
- 1987 Sacrée soirée
1 episode
- 1982 Champs-Elysées
1 episode
- 1975 Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
1 episode
- 1955 MGM Parade
2 episodes
- 1954 Reflets de Cannes
1 episode