Irene Papas
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- September 3, 1929
- Died
- September 14, 2022 (aged 93)
- Birthplace
- Chiliomodi, Corinth, Greece
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. 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.
Known For
Photos
Filmography
1821 at the Cinema
Movie · as (archive footage)
Morceaux de Cannes
Movie
Il falso bugiardo
Movie · as Self (archive footage)
A Talking Picture
Movie · as Helena
Short Cuts
TV · as Pensioner · 1 ep
Captain Corelli's Mandolin
Movie · as Drosoula
...and the train leaves for the sky
Movie · as Elena Michailovna
Yerma
Movie · as Vieja pagana
Inquietude
Movie · as Mother
The Odyssey
TV · as Anticlea · 2 eps
Party
Movie · as Irene
Jacob
Movie · as Rebekka
Un Amore Rubato
Movie
Lettera da Parigi
Movie · as Gina
Up, Down and Sideways
Movie · as Μαρία
Enopios Enopio
TV · as Guest · 1 ep
Plato's Banquet
Movie · as Diotime
Island
Movie · as Marquise
Oceano
TV · as Aurelia Perdomo · 6 eps
La Valise en carton
TV · as Maria Amélia, la mère de Linda · 6 eps
High Season
Movie · as Penelope
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Movie · as Madre de Angela
A Child Called Jesus
Movie · as Old Maria
Sweet Country
Movie · as Mrs. Araya
Ein Kind mit Namen Jesus
TV · as Old Maria · 4 eps
Sacrée soirée
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Assisi Underground
Movie · as Mother Giuseppina
Into the Night
Movie · as Shaheen Parvici
Afghanistan For What?
Movie
Erendira
Movie · as Grandmother Amadis
The Deserter
Movie · as Mariangela
The Balad of Mamelouk
Movie · as Mamluk's Mother
Champs-Elysées
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Lion of the Desert
Movie · as Mabrouka
L'assistente sociale tutto pepe...
Movie · as La Signora
Bloodline
Movie · as Simonetta Palazzi
Ring of Darkness
Movie · as Raffaella
Christ Stopped at Eboli
Movie · as Giulia Venere
Iphigenia
Movie · as Klytaimnistra
Blood Wedding
Movie · as La mère
Moses the Lawgiver
Movie · as Zippora
The Message
Movie · as Hind
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche
TV · as Self · 1 ep
Bambina
Movie · as Raimonda Spina
Moses the Lawgiver
TV · as Zipporah · 7 eps
The Battle of Sutjeska
Movie · as Borina majka
1931: Once Upon a Time in New York
Movie · as Donna Mimma
Don't Torture a Duckling
Movie · as Dona Aurelia Avallone
N.P. - The Secret
Movie · as Casalinga
The Murder of Julius Caesar
Movie · as Calpurnia
Oasis of Fear
Movie · as Barbara Slater
The Trojan Women
Movie · as Helen
Roma bene
Movie · as Elena Teopoulos
Z
Movie · as Hélène
Anne of the Thousand Days
Movie · as Queen Catherine
The Odyssey
Movie · as Penelope
Behold Man - The Survivors
Movie · as Anna
A Dream of Kings
Movie · as Caliope
Le avventure di Ulisse
Movie · as Penelope
The Brotherhood
Movie · as Ida Ginetta
The Odyssey
TV · as Penelope · 8 eps
We Still Kill the Old Way
Movie · as Luisa Roscio
Witness Out of Hell
Movie · as Lea Weiss
The Desperate Ones
Movie · as Ajmi
Trap for the Assassin
Movie · as Julia de Noirville
The Steps
Movie · as Joana
Zorba the Greek
Movie · as Widow
The Moon-Spinners
Movie · as Sophia
Electra
Movie · as Elektra
The Guns of Navarone
Movie · as Maria Pappadimos
Antigone
Movie · as Antigone
Bouboulina
Movie · as Laskarina Bouboulina
Pssst ... girls!
Movie · as Eleni
The Lake of Sighs
Movie · as Frosyni
Tribute to a Bad Man
Movie · as Jocasta Constantine
MGM Parade
TV · as self · 2 eps
Attila
Movie · as Grune
Theodora, Slave Empress
Movie · as Faidia
The Missing Scientists
Movie · as Gina
Climax!
TV · as Maxanne York · 1 ep
Reflets de Cannes
TV · as Self · 1 ep
The Man From Cairo
Movie · as Yvonne Lebeau
Vortice
Movie · as Clara
The Unfaithfuls
Movie · as Luisa Azzali
Dead City
Movie · as Lena
Fallen Angels
Movie · as Liana