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The Greek singer and actress, Irene Papas recently passed away on September 14, 2022, at the age of 93. She appeared in around 70 films throughout her career and gained recognition for her performances in films like The Guns of Navarone, Zorba the Greek, The Trojan Women, Iphigenia, and more.
The news was announced by The Greek Culture Ministry and Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, who stated:
“Magnificent, majestic, dynamic, Irene Papas was the personification of Greek beauty on the cinema screen and on the theater stage, an international leading lady who radiated Greekness.”
Although Irene Papas had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease since 2013, it remains unknown if that played any role in her death. Detailed information on her funeral shall be disclosed soon.
Journey of Irene Papas in the entertainment industry
Born on September 3, 1929, Irene Papas’ family shifted to Athens when she was seven years old and she trained herself to dance and sing at the Royal School of Dramatic Art in Athens.
Irene made her acting debut in variety and traditional theater and appeared in several plays before joining the films in 1951. Her work in theater was praised by critics and she played important roles in plays like The Idiot, Iphigenia in Aulis, Medea, The Bacchae, and more.
Papas started her film career with a minor role in Fallen Angels in 1948, followed by Dead City in 1952. She then signed with Lux Film in Italy and appeared in films like Attila and Theodora, Slave Express, which made her a popular name among the audience. She then played lead roles in films like Antigone, Electra, The Trojan Women, and Iphigenia.
After she became an expert in speaking Italian, the language was used in most of her films. She made her Hollywood debut with the B-movie, The Man from Cairo, in 1953 followed by Tribute to a Bad Man, The Guns of Navarone, and Zorba the Greek. She then played lead roles in films like Z, Anne of the Thousand Days, Mohammad, Messenger of God, Lion of the Desert, and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.
Irene Papas also had a successful singing career. Her album, Songs of Theodorakis, was released by the record label RCA in 1969. She was then featured on the album 666 by Aphrodite’s Child in 1972 followed by her album, Odes, released in 1979.
Papas called for a cultural boycott against the Fourth Reich in 1976 and her opposition to the regime sent her and many others into exile after a military junta came to power in Greece in 1967.
Papas had to shift to Italy and New York. She then returned to Greece following the fall of the junta in 1974 and continued to work in Rome along with spending time in Athens and her family’s village house in Chiliomodi.
Netizens pay tribute on Twitter
Irene Papas became a familiar name with her flawless performances in films and plays over the course of her career. People expressed their grief on Twitter when they heard about her demise:
Papas initially tied the knot with film director Alkis Papas in 1947 and they split in 1951. Irene also had a secret love affair with actor Marlon Brando after they met in 1954. She then married film producer Jose Kohn in 1957 but the marriage was later declared invalid.
