Irene Papas
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Irene Papas or Irene Pappas (, ; born Eirini Lelekou (); 3 September 1929 – 14 September 2022) was a Greek actress and singer who starred in over 70 films in a career spanning more than 50 years. She gained international recognition through such popular award-winning films as '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961), '' Zorba the Greek'' (1964) and '' Z'' (1969). She was a powerful protagonist in films including ''
The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...
'' (1971) and '' Iphigenia'' (1977). She played the title roles in '' Antigone'' (1961) and ''
Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...
'' (1962). She had a fine singing voice, on display in the 1968 recording '' Songs of Theodorakis''. Papas won Best Actress awards at the
Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (), usually called the Berlinale (), is an annual film festival held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festival has been held every February since 1978 and is one of Europ ...
for ''Antigone'' and from the National Board of Review for ''The Trojan Women''. Her career awards include the Golden Arrow Award in 1993 at Hamptons International Film Festival, and the Golden Lion Award in 2009 at the
Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...
.


Early life

Papas was born as Eirini Lelekou (Ειρήνη Λελέκου) on 3 September 1929, in the village of Chiliomodi, outside
Corinth Corinth ( ; , ) is a municipality in Corinthia in Greece. The successor to the ancient Corinth, ancient city of Corinth, it is a former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese (region), Peloponnese, which is located in south-central Greece. Sin ...
, Greece. Her mother, Eleni Prevezanou (Ελένη Πρεβεζάνου), was a schoolteacher, and her father, Stavros Lelekos (Σταύρος Λελέκος), taught classical drama at the Sofikós school in Corinth. She recalled that she was always acting as a child, making dolls out of rags and sticks; after a touring theatre visited the village performing Greek tragedies with the women tearing their hair, she used to tie a black scarf around her head and perform for the other children. The family moved to Athens when she was seven years old. She was educated from age 15 at the National Theatre of Greece Drama School in Athens, taking classes in dance and singing. She found the acting style advocated by the school old-fashioned, formal, and stylised, and rebelled against it, causing her to have to repeat a year; she eventually graduated in 1948.


Career


Theatre

Papas began her acting career in Greece in variety and traditional theatre, in plays by
Ibsen Henrik Johan Ibsen (; ; 20 March 1828 – 23 May 1906) was a Norwegian playwright, poet and actor. Ibsen is considered the world's pre-eminent dramatist of the 19th century and is often referred to as "the father of modern drama." He pioneered ...
,
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
, and classical Greek tragedy, before moving into film in 1951. She continued to appear on stage from time to time, including in New York City in productions such as Dostoevsky's ''
The Idiot ''The Idiot'' (Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform ) is a novel by the 19th-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. It was first published serially in the journal ''The Russian Messenger'' in 1868–1869. The titl ...
''. She played in '' Iphigenia in Aulis'' in Broadway's
Circle in the Square Theatre The Circle in the Square Theatre is a Broadway theater at 235 West 50th Street, within the basement of Paramount Plaza, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, New York, U.S. The current Broadway theater, completed in 1972, i ...
in 1968. She starred in ''
Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...
'' in 1973 on Broadway. Reviewing the production in the ''New York Times'', drama critic Clive Barnes described her as a "very fine, controlled Medea", smouldering with a "carefully dampened passion", constantly fierce. Theatre critic Walter Kerr also praised the performance. Both saw in her portrayal what Barnes called an "unrelenting determination and unwavering desire for justice". She appeared in '' The Bacchae'' in 1980 at Circle in the Square, and in ''Electra'' at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in 1985.


Film


Europe

Papas was discovered by
Elia Kazan Elias Kazantzoglou (, ; September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003), known as Elia Kazan ( ), was a Greek-American film and theatre director, producer, screenwriter and actor, described by ''The New York Times'' as "one of the most honored and inf ...
in Greece, where she achieved widespread fame. Her first film work was a small part in Nikos Tsiforos's 1948 ''Fallen Angels'' (Greek, " Hamenoi angeloi"). She began to attract attention with her role in Frixos Iliadis's 1952 film '' Dead City'' (Greek, "Nekri Politeia"). The film was shown at the
Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
, where Papas was welcomed by the international press, and photographed spending time with the wealthy
Aga Khan Aga Khan (; ; also transliterated as ''Aqa Khan'' and ''Agha Khan'') is a title held by the Imamate in Nizari doctrine, Imām of the Nizari Isma'ilism, Nizari Isma'ilism, Ismāʿīli Shia Islam, Shias. The current holder of the title is the ...
. Greek filmmakers thought her a noncommercial actress, and she tried her hand abroad, signing with Lux Film in Italy, where the publicity for ''Dead City'' was enough to launch her as a film star. She played in Lux's 1954 films ''
Attila Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central Europe, C ...
'' and '' Theodora, Slave Empress'', which attracted Hollywood's attention. Many other films followed, both in Greece and internationally. She was a leading figure in cinematic transcriptions of ancient tragedy, playing the title roles in George Tzavellas's '' Antigone'' (1961) and
Michael Cacoyannis Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...
's ''
Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...
'' (1962), with her powerful portrayal of the doomed heroine; this brought her star status. She played Helen in Cacoyannis's ''
The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...
'' (1971) opposite
Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress whose Katharine Hepburn on screen and stage, career as a Golden Age of Hollywood, Hollywood leading lady spanned six decades. She was known for her headstrong ...
, and Clytemnestra with "smoldering eyes", according to ''The New York Times'', in his '' Iphigenia'' (1977). Papas became fluent in Italian, and many of her films were made in that language. She said Cacoyannis was the only director that she was really comfortable with, describing herself as "too obedient" to stand up to other directors. Cacoyannis said that she was part of his decision to make ''Iphigenia'', forming his image of Clytemnestra with her power and physique, and her un-selfpitying, impersonal anger against the injustice of life, something that in his view was accessible to actors from countries like Greece that had experienced long years of oppression. Alejandro Valverde García described Papas's part in ''The Trojan Women'' as "the most convincing cinematographic Helen that has ever been represented", noting that the script was written with her in mind.


Hollywood

Papas debuted in American film with a bit part in the B-movie '' The Man from Cairo'' (1953); her next American film was a much larger role as Jocasta Constantine, with
James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor and dancer. On stage and in film, he was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He won acclaim and maj ...
, in the Western '' Tribute to a Bad Man'' (1956). She then starred in films such as '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961) and Cacoyannis's '' Zorba the Greek'' (1964), based on Nikos Kazantzakis's novel of the same name, set to
Mikis Theodorakis Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films '' Zorba the Greek'' (1964), '' Z'' (1969), and '' Serpico'' (1973). He was a three-ti ...
's music, establishing her reputation internationally. In ''The Guns of Navarone'', she stars as a resistance fighter involved in the action, an addition to Alistair Maclean's novel, providing a love interest and a strong female character. Gerasimus Katsan comments that she plays a "hard as nails" partisan in ''The Guns of Navarone'', "capable, unafraid, stoic, patriotic, and heroic"; when the men hesitate, she kills the traitorous Anna; but although she interacts romantically with Andreas (Anthony Quinn), she remains "cool and rational", revealing little of her sensual persona; she is as tough as the men, like the stereotype of a Greek village woman, but she is contrasted with them in the film. Bosley Crowther called her appearance in ''Zorba'' "dark and intense as the widow". Katsan said that she was most often remembered as the "sensual widow" in ''Zorba''. Katsan wrote that she was again contrasted to the other village women, playing "the beautiful and tortured widow" who is eventually hunted to death with what Vrasidas Karalis called "elemental nobility". The scholar of film Jefferson Hunter wrote that Papas helped lift ''Zorba'' from being merely an "exuberant" film with the stark passion of her subplot role. This success did not earn her an easy life; she stated that she did not work for 2 years after ''Electra'', despite the prizes and acclamation; and again, she was out of work for 18 months after ''Zorba''. It turned out to be her most popular film, but she said she earned only $10,000 from it. Papas played leading roles in several critically acclaimed films. In '' Z'' (1969), her political activist's widow has been called "indelible". She played an admired
Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, historical Spanish: , now: ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was List of English royal consorts, Queen of England as the Wives of Henry VIII, first wife of King Henry VIII from their marr ...
in '' Anne of the Thousand Days'', opposite
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...
and Geneviève Bujold in 1969. In 1976, she starred in '' The Message'' about the origin of Islam, a film which Mark Cousins stated was "perhaps seen by as many people as...any film in cinema history." In 1982, she appeared in ''
Lion of the Desert ''Lion of the Desert'' (alternative titles: ''Omar Mukhtar'' and ''Omar Mukhtar: Lion of the Desert'') is a 1981 epic film, epic historical film, historical war film about the Second Italo-Senussi War, starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leade ...
''. One of her last film appearances was in '' Captain Corelli's Mandolin'' in 2001, where in Katsan's view she was underused reprising her strong peasant woman from ''The Guns of Navarone'' and the widow from ''Zorba''.


Stardom

The ''Enciclopedia Italiana'' described Papas as a typical Mediterranean beauty, with a lovely voice both in singing and acting, greatly talented and with an adventurous spirit. Olga Kourelou added that film-makers from Cacoyannis onwards have made systematic use of her looks: "Her chalk-white skin and long black hair, dark brown eyes, thick arched eyebrows, and straight nose make Papas appear as the quintessential idea of Greek beauty." She writes that the camera has lingered in close-up on Papas's face, and that she is often photographed in profile, intentionally recalling the iconography of
ancient Greece Ancient Greece () was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity (), that comprised a loose collection of culturally and linguistically r ...
. Kourelou gives as example the profile shot in ''Iphigenia'' where Papas sings a lullaby to her daughter, in front of a Hellenic sculpture of a woman, the shot bringing out the resemblance of their facial features; she notes that posters of Papas have often used the same motif. Gerasimus Katsan wrote that she is the best-known and most recognisable Greek film star, "an actor with incredible range, power, and subtlety". In the view of the film critic Philip Kemp, Kemp described Papas as an awe-inspiring presence, which paradoxically limited her career. He admired her roles in Cacoyannis's films, including the defiant
Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...
in ''The Trojan Women''; the vengeful, grief-stricken Clytemnestra in ''Iphigenia''; and "memorably" as the cool but sensual widow in ''Zorba the Greek''. David Thomson, in his ''Biographical Dictionary of Film'', called Papas's manner in ''Iphigenia'' "blatant declaiming". She stood out in
Costa-Gavras Konstantinos "Kostas" Gavras (; born 12 February 1933), known professionally as Costa-Gavras, is a Greek-French film director, screenwriter, and producer who lives and works in France. He is known for political films, such as the political thril ...
's 1968 political film '' Z'', based on a real-life assassination, and in Ruy Guerra's 1983 '' Eréndira'', with a screenplay by the novelist
Gabriel García Márquez Gabriel José García Márquez (; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian writer and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo () or Gabito () throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th centur ...
. The film critic Roger Ebert observed that there were many "pretty girls" in cinema "but not many women", and called Papas a great actress. Ebert noted her uphill struggle, her height, limiting the leading men she could play alongside, her accent limiting the roles she could take, and that "her unusual beauty is not the sort that superstar actresses like to compete with." Ordinary actors, he suggested, had trouble sharing the screen with Papas. All the same, her presence in many well-known movies, wrote Ebert, inspired "something of a cult". In his book on Greek cinema, Mel Schuster called Papas a great actress on the strength of her roles in four of Cacoyannis's films. He found her stage presence awe-inspiring, especially in ''Electra'', and so powerful as to limit the film roles she could take, as she seemed to be an elemental force of nature. That resulted, Schuster stated, in Hollywood's treating her as "a Mother Earth who suffered and survived, but rarely talked or acted". That made her Helen in ''The Trojan Women'', pacing up and down like a caged panther "with just the searching eyes darting through the bars", a "marvelous surprise", as Hollywood saw that in fact she was also an accomplished actor. In his view, casting her as the beautiful Helen was daring, as Papas was not, in 1971, as conventionally beautiful as a Hedy Lamarr or an
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
; if she was the face that launched a thousand ships, then she brought "a force which might indeed have inspired a holocaust". Schuster commented that in each of the four Cacoyannis films, one shot of Papas's gave "indelible pleasure" and remained etched in the memory. In ''Iphigenia'', that shot was in his view wisely placed at the end, under the closing credits, so that viewers see her until that moment as a versatile and powerfully histrionic actress, appropriate both to the ancient mythic dimensions of the tale and to a modern psychological reading of the myth. Bella Vivante contrasted Papas's dark-haired Helen in ''The Trojan Women'' with the conventional choice of a blonde, Rossana Podestà, in
Robert Wise Robert Earl Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was an American filmmaker. He won the Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for his musical films ''West Side Story'' (1961) and ''The Sound of Music'' (1965). He was als ...
's 1956 ''
Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...
''. Where Wise emphasised Helen's seductive gaze and framed Podesta as an ideal beauty for the audience to look at, Cacoyannis made the scenes framed as Papas's gaze provide "an empowering female identity". The scholar of Greek, Gerasimus Katsan, called her the most recognizable and best-known Greek film star, with "range, power, and subtlety", stating that her work made her a kind of national hero. She acted strong women with "beauty and sensuality, but also fierce independence and spirit". Robert Stam wrote of Papas's role in Ruy Guerra's 1983 '' Eréndira'' that "the near-indestructible grandmother f the eponymous young prostitutereigns supreme"; she gives the effect of "a kind of queen" both through the regal props and her powerful performance, at once villainous and sympathetic, "an oracle who speaks truths, especially about men and love". Kourelou wrote that although Papas had appeared in the films of both European and American "''auteurs''", she was best known as a ''tragedienne'', citing the film-maker
Manoel de Oliveira Manoel Cândido Pinto de Oliveira (; 11 December 1908 – 2 April 2015) was a Portuguese film director and screenwriter born in Cedofeita, Porto. He first began making films in 1927, when he and some friends attempted to make a film about Wor ...
's remark that "this great tragedienne is the grand and beautiful image that embodies the deepest essence of the female soul. She is the image of Greece of all time ..., the mother of western civilisation". In Kourelou's view, Papas's tragic persona "offers an image of sublimated beauty with a transcendental quality"; she notes that Papas is neither "sexualised nor glamorised" with the single exception of her role as Helen in ''The Trojan Women''. In 1973, she was honoured with a photo shoot by the Magnum photographer Ferdinando Scianna. Asked about her acting for film and stage, and in classical and modern films, Papas stated that the acting techniques and method of expressing oneself are the same. One might, she said, need to use a louder voice on a classical stage, but "you always use the same soul". She denied having any secret to acting with such energy, but said that one's attitude to death was what drove action. Death was in her view "the greatest catalyst in human life"; while waiting to die, one had to decide what to do with one's life.


Singing

In 1969, the RCA label released Papas' vinyl LP '' Songs of Theodorakis'' (INTS 1033). This has 11 songs sung in Greek, conducted by Harry Lemonopoulos and produced by Andy Wiswell, with sleeve notes in English by
Michael Cacoyannis Michalis Kakogiannis (; ; 11 June 1922 – 25 July 2011), usually credited as Michael Cacoyannis or Michael Yannis, was a Greek Cypriot filmmaker, theatre director, and playwright. He is best known for writing, directing, producing, and e ...
. It was released on CD in 2005 (FM 1680). Papas knew
Mikis Theodorakis Michail "Mikis" Theodorakis ( ; 29 July 1925 – 2 September 2021) was a Greek composer and lyricist credited with over 1,000 works. He scored for the films '' Zorba the Greek'' (1964), '' Z'' (1969), and '' Serpico'' (1973). He was a three-ti ...
from working with him on '' Zorba the Greek'' as early as 1964. The critic Clive Barnes said of her singing performance on the album that "Irene Pappas is known to the public as an actress, but that is why she sings with such intensity, her very appearance, with her raven hair, is an equally dynamic means of expression". In 1972, she appeared on the album '' 666'' by the Greek rock group Aphrodite's Child on the track "∞" (''infinity''). She chants "I was, I am, I am to come" repeatedly and wildly over a percussive backing, worrying the label, Mercury, who hesitated over releasing the album, causing controversy with her "graphic orgasm". In 1979,
Polydor Polydor Limited, also known as Polydor Records, is a British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in ...
released her album of eight Greek folk songs entitled '' Odes'', with electronic music performed (and partly composed) by
Vangelis Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou (, ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; , ), was a Greek musician, composer, and producer of electronic, progressive, ambient, and classical orchestral music. He composed ...
. The lyrics were co-written by Arianna Stassinopoulos. They collaborated again in 1986 for '' Rapsodies'', an electronic rendition of seven Byzantine liturgy hymns, also on Polydor; Jonny Trunk wrote that there was "no doubting the power, fire and earthy delights of Papas' voice".


Politics

In 1967, Papas, a lifelong liberal, called for a "cultural boycott" against the "Fourth Reich", meaning the military government of Greece at that time. Her opposition to the regime sent her, and other artists such as Mikis Theodorakis, whose songs she sang, into exile when the
military junta A military junta () is a system of government led by a committee of military leaders. The term ''Junta (governing body), junta'' means "meeting" or "committee" and originated in the Junta (Peninsular War), national and local junta organized by t ...
came to power in Greece in 1967; she moved into temporary exile in Italy and New York. When the junta fell in 1974, she returned to Greece, spending time both in Athens and in her family's village house in Chiliomodi as well as continuing to work in Rome.


Personal life

In 1947, she married the film director Alkis Papas; they divorced in 1951. In 1954, she met the actor
Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''
, and they had a long love affair, which they kept secret at the time. Fifty years later, when Brando died, she recalled that "I have never since loved a man as I loved Marlon. He was the great passion of my life, absolutely the man I cared about the most and also the one I esteemed most, two things that generally are difficult to reconcile". Her second marriage was to the film producer José Kohn in 1957; that marriage was later annulled. She was the aunt of the film director Manousos Manousakis and the actor Aias Manthopoulos. In 2003 she served on the board of directors of the Anna-Marie Foundation, a fund which provided assistance to people in rural areas of Greece. In 2013 she began to suffer from
Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...
. Papas spent her final years in home care at her niece's house in Kifissia. She died there on 14 September 2022, at the age of 93, and was interred at the Chiliomodi Cemetery, Corinthia.


Awards and distinctions

* 1961: 11th Berlin International Film Festival (Best Actress, for the film ''Antigone'') * 1962:
Thessaloniki International Film Festival The Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) is a film festival held every November in Thessaloniki, Greece. It is organized by the Thessaloniki Film Festival under the auspices of the Greek Ministry of Culture. It features internationa ...
(Best Actress, for the film ''Elektra'') * 1971: National Board of Review (Best Actress, for the film ''The Trojan Women'') * 1987 Venice Film Festival jury president * 1993: Golden Arrow Award for lifetime achievement at Hamptons International Film Festival * 1993: Flaiano Prize for Theatre (Career Award) * 2009: ''Leone d'oro alla carriera'' (Golden Lion career award),
Venice Biennale The Venice Biennale ( ; ) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy. There are two main components of the festival, known as the Art Biennale () and the Venice Biennale of Architecture, Architecture Biennale (), ...
She received the honours of Commander of the Order of the Phoenix in Greece, Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in France, and Commander of the Civil Order of Alfonso X, the Wise in Spain. In 2017, it was announced that the National Theatre of Greece's drama school would move to a new "Irene Papas – Athens School" on Agiou Konstantinou Street in Athens from 2018.


Discography

* 1968 : '' Songs of Theodorakis'', in concert in New York, music conducted by Harry Lemonopoulos * 1972 : '' 666'' by Aphrodite's Child – Chanted vocals on "∞" * 1979 : ''Ωδές'' – '' Odes'' – with Vangelis * 1986 : ''Ραψωδίες'' – '' Rapsodies'' – with Vangelis


Filmography

* ' (Greek, "Hamenoi angeloi", 1948) as Liana * '' Dead City'' (Greek, "Nekri Politeia", 1951) as Lena * '' The Unfaithfuls'' (Italian, "Le Infideli", 1953) as Luisa Azzali * '' Come Back!'' (Italian, "Torna!", 1953) * '' The Man from Cairo'' (Italian, "Dramma del Casbah", 1953) as Yvonne Lebeau * '' Vortex'' (Italian, "Vortice", 1953) as Clara * '' Theodora, Slave Empress'' (Italian, "Teodora, Imperatrice di Bisanzio", 1954) as Faidia * ''
Attila Attila ( or ; ), frequently called Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in early 453. He was also the leader of an empire consisting of Huns, Ostrogoths, Alans, and Gepids, among others, in Central Europe, C ...
'' (Italian, "Attila, il flagello di Dio", 1954) as Grune * '' Tribute to a Bad Man'' (1956) as Jocasta Constantine * '' The Power and the Prize'' (1956) * '' Bouboulina'' (Greek, 1959) as Laskarina Bouboulina * '' The Guns of Navarone'' (1961) as Maria * '' Antigone'' (Greek, 1961) as Antigone * ''
Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...
'' (Greek, 1962) as Electra * '' The Moon-Spinners'' (1964) as Sophia * '' Zorba the Greek'' (1964) as the widow * '' Trap for the Assassin'' (French, "Roger la Honte", 1966) as Julia de Noirville * ' (German, "Zeugin aus der Hölle", 1966) as Lea Weiss * '' We Still Kill the Old Way'' (Italian, "A ciascuno il suo", 1967) as Luisa Roscio * '' The Desperate Ones'' (Spanish, "Más allá de las montañas", 1967) as Ajmi * ''
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
'' (Italian, "L'Odissea", 1968, TV Mini-series) as Penelope * '' The Brotherhood'' (1968) as Ida Ginetta * ' (Italian, "Ecce Homo – I sopravvissuti", 1968) as Anna * '' Z'' (French, 1969) as Helene * '' A Dream of Kings'' (1969) as Caliope * '' Anne of the Thousand Days'' (1969) as Queen Katherine * ''
The Trojan Women ''The Trojan Women'' (, lit. "The Female Trojans") is a tragedy by the Ancient Greece, Greek playwright Euripides, produced in 415 BCE. Also translated as ''The Women of Troy,'' or as its transliterated Greek title ''Troades, The Trojan Women'' ...
'' (1971) as
Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...
* '' Oasis of Fear'' (''Un posto ideale per uccidere'', 1971) as Barbara Slater * '' Rome Good'' (Italian, "Roma Bene", 1971) as Elena Teopoulos * ' (Italian, "N.P. – Il segreto", 1971) as the housewife * '' Don't Torture a Duckling'' (Italian, "Non si servizia un paperino", 1972) as Dona Aurelia Avallone * '' 1931, Once Upon a Time in New York'' (1972) as Donna Mimma * '' Battle of Sutjeska'' (Yugoslav, "Sutjeska", 1973) as Boro's mother * '' I'll Take Her Like a Father'' (Italian, "Le farò da padre", 1974) as Raimonda Spina Tommaselli * '' Moses the Lawgiver'' (Italian, "Mose", 1974) (TV miniseries) as Zipporah * ''
Mohammad, Messenger of God ''The Message'' () originally known as ''Mohammed, Messenger of God'' () is a 1976 epic film directed and produced by Moustapha Akkad that chronicles the life and times of Muhammad, who is Depictions of Muhammad, never directly depicted. Relea ...
'' (Arabic, "Ar-Risālah", 1976) as Hind bint Utbah * '' Blood Wedding'' (Spanish, "Bodas de Sangre", 1977) as the mother * '' Iphigenia'' (Greek, 1977) as Clytemnestra * ''The Man of Corleone'' (Italian, "L'uomo di Corleone", 1977) * ''
Christ Stopped at Eboli ''Christ Stopped at Eboli'' () is a memoir by Carlo Levi, published in 1945, giving an account of his exile from 1935–1936 to Grassano and Aliano, remote towns in Southern Italy, in the region of Lucania which is known today as Basilicata. In ...
'' (Italian, "Cristo si e fermato a Eboli", 1979) as Giulia * ''
Bloodline Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic infor ...
'' (1979) as Simonetta Palazzi * ' (Italian, "Un'ombra nell'ombra", 1979) as Raffaella * ''
Lion of the Desert ''Lion of the Desert'' (alternative titles: ''Omar Mukhtar'' and ''Omar Mukhtar: Lion of the Desert'') is a 1981 epic film, epic historical film, historical war film about the Second Italo-Senussi War, starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leade ...
'' (Arabic, "Asadu alsahra", 1981) as Mabrouka * '' The All Pepper Social Worker'' (Italian, "L'assistente sociale tutto pepe", 1981) as the fairy * ''Manuel's Tribulations'' (French, "Les Tribulations de Manuel", 1982) (TV series) * ''The Ballad of Mameluke'' (French, "La Ballade de Mamlouk", 1982) * '' Eréndira'' (Mexico, 1983) as the grandmother * ' (French, "Afghanistan pourquoi?" 1983) as cultural attaché * '' The Deserter'' (Italian, "Il disertore", 1983) as Mariangela * ''In the Shade of the Great Oak'' (Italian, "All'ombra della grande quercia", 1984) (TV mini-series) * '' Into the Night'' (Italian, ''Tutto in una notte'', 1985) as Shaheen Parvizi * '' The Assisi Underground'' (1985) as Mother Giuseppina * '' Sweet Country'' (1987) as Mrs. Araya * '' Chronicle of a Death Foretold'' (1987) as Angela's mother * '' High Season'' (1987) as Penelope * ' (Italian, "Un bambino di nome Gesù", 1987) (TV film) * ''The Cardboard Suitcase'' (Portuguese, "A Mala de Cartão", 1988) (TV miniseries), as Maria Amélia * ' (Italian, "Il banchetto di Platone", 1988) as Diotima * ''
Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
'' (1989) as Marquise * ' (French, "Les Cavaliers aux yeux verts", 1990) as Anasthasie Rouch * ' (Italian, "L'ispettore anticrimine", 1993) as Maria * ''Stolen Love'' (Italian, "Amore Rubato", 1993) * ''
Jacob Jacob, later known as Israel, is a Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions. He first appears in the Torah, where he is described in the Book of Genesis as a son of Isaac and Rebecca. Accordingly, alongside his older fraternal twin brother E ...
'' (1994) (TV film) as Rebeccah * ''
Party A party is a gathering of people who have been invited by a Hospitality, host for the purposes of socializing, conversation, recreation, or as part of a festival or other commemoration or celebration of a special occasion. A party will oft ...
'' (1996) as Irene * ''
The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; ) is one of two major epics of ancient Greek literature attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest surviving works of literature and remains popular with modern audiences. Like the ''Iliad'', the ''Odyssey'' is divi ...
'' (1997) (TV miniseries) as Anticlea * ''
Anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...
'' ("Inquietude", 1998) as the mother * '' Yerma'' (Spanish, 1998) as the old pagan woman * '' Captain Corelli's Mandolin'' (2001) as Drosoula * '' A Talking Picture'' (2003) as Helena


Notes


References


External links

* * *
Irène Papas regarding her work as an actress
(video interview with context and transcript) from Europe of Cultures, 1 June 1980 {{DEFAULTSORT:Papas, Irene 1929 births 2022 deaths 20th-century Greek actresses 21st-century Greek actresses Commanders of the Order of Alfonso X, the Wise Commanders of the Order of the Phoenix (Greece) Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres Deaths from Alzheimer's disease Deaths from dementia in Greece Greek communists Greek expatriates in Italy Greek film actresses People from Tenea