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