Irene Papas (Greek Ειρήνη Παππά, born September 3, 1926 in Corinth) is a Greek-born actress who has starred in over seventy films in a career spanning more than fifty years. September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Temple of Apollo at Corinth Corinth, or Korinth (Κόρινθος; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Films are produced by recording actual people and objects with cameras, or by creating them using animation techniques and/or special effects. ...

Irene Papas was born Irene Lelekou (Ειρήνη Λελέκου) in Chiliomodi outside Corinth, Greece. She began her early career in Greece, achieving widespread fame there, before starring in internationally renowned films such as The Guns of Navarone and Zorba the Greek, and critically acclaimed films such as Z and Elektra. Chiliomodi or Hilimodi, (Greek, Modern: Χιλιομόδι, Ancient/Katharevousa: -on) older forms Chiliomodion, Hiliomodion and Khiliomodion is a village in east-central Corinthia in the Peloponnese. ... Temple of Apollo at Corinth Corinth, or Korinth (Κόρινθος; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek city, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ... The Guns of Navarone is a 1957 novel of World War II by British thriller writer Alistair MacLean that was made into a film in 1961. ... Zorba the Greek is a 1964 movie by Michael Cacoyannis, originally titled Alexis Zorbas, based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis. ... The film Z is a 1969 political thriller directed by Costa-Gavras, with screenplay in French by the director, based on the novel of the same name by Vassilis Vassilikos. ... There have been two movies named Elektra: Elektra (1962 movie) - A movie based on the Euripides play Electra Elektra (2005 movie) - Starring Jennifer Garner, and a spin-off sequel to the 2003 movie Daredevil. ...

She has recently appeared in the film, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and is currently working in theatre in Portugal. Spoiler warning: Captain Corellis Mandolin is a novel by Louis de Bernières. ...

International awards and honours

• 1962: Thessaloniki International Film Festival'(Best Actress, for the film Electra) — won
• 1962: Union of Greek Film Critics (Best Actress, for the film Electra) — won
• 1969: New York Film Critics Circle (Best Supporting Actress, for the film Z) — nominated
• 1971: National Board of Review (Best Actress, for the film The Trojan Women) — won
• 1985: Fennecus Awards (Best Actress in a limited role, for the film Into the Night) — nominated
• 1989: Australian Film Institute (Best Actress, for the film Island) — nominated
• 1993: Hamptons International Film Festival (Distinguished Achievement Award) — won
• 1993: Flaiano Prize for Theatre (Career Award) — won
• 2000: Madrid National Arts Institution (Career Award) — won
• 2000: International Festival Women’s films (Career Award) — won
• 2001: University of Rome (Doctorate in Arts and Letters) — won
• 2002: Woman of Europe Award (Career Award) — won

Trivia

• She was discovered by Elia Kazan.
• Federico Fellini was a huge admirerer of her work.
• She was a close friend of Katharine Hepburn, with whom she co-starred in The Trojan Women. Hepburn once said that Papas was "one of the best actresses in the history of cinema".
• One of the more unusual moments in Papas' career came in 1970, when she guested on the album 666 by Greek rock group Aphrodite's Child on the track 8 (infinity symbol). She chants "I was, I am, I am to come" repeatedly and wildly over a percussive backing. The track was considered lewd by record company executives, and resulted in the album being withheld from release for two years by Polydor Records. Upon its release in 1972, the song caused some furor in Greece and was again accused of lewdness and indecency by Greek religious figures and government authorities.

Elia Kazan Elia Kazan (September 7, 1909 – September 28, 2003) was an American film and theatre director and producer. ... Federico Fellini (January 20, 1920 – October 31, 1993) was an Italian film-maker and director and one of the key film auteurs of the second half of the twentieth century. ... Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an iconic star of American film, television and stage, widely recognized for her sharp wit, New England gentility and fierce independence. ... The Trojan Women (in Greek, Troiades) is a tragedy by the Greek playwright Euripides. ... Aphrodites Child was a Greek rock band formed in 1968 by vocalist Demis Roussos, multi-instrumentalist Vangelis Papathanassiou and drummer Lucas Sideras. ... Polydor Records is a record label once headquartered in Germany. ...

Quotations

• "Falling in love is like death... they are both facts".
• "Melina Mercouri was a star. I am a struggling idealist".
• "I never wanted to play sensational parts, or those of desirable women. I wanted to play me... the independent fighter...".
• "I never won an Oscar... and the Oscars never won Irene Papas".

Melina Mercouri on Never on Sunday Melina Mercouri (Μελίνα Μερκούρη; Athens,October 18, 1920 – New York, March 6, 1994) was a Greek actress and political activist. ...

External links

• Irene Papas at the Internet Movie Database
• Irene Papas — from Classic Movies