Irene Papas, the globally renowned actress and singer whose career span over five decades is no longer alive. She died on Sept. 14 at age 96.
Greece’s ministry of culture confirmed the screen icon’s death in a statement;
The Athens-based Greek Film Center described Papas as “the greatest Greek international film star,” adding that her “image is a timeless imprint of Greek female beauty.”
Papas gained international recognition through such popular award-winning films as;
- The Guns of Navarone (1961),
- Zorba the Greek (1964) and
- Z (1969).
Her other film credits include;
- “Tribute to a Bad Man” (1956) with James Cagney,
- “Bouboulina” (1959),
- “Electra” (1962),
- “The Brotherhood” (1968) opposite Kirk Douglas,
- “Anne of the Thousand Days” (1969) and
- “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” (1987).
In one of her final film roles in 2003, Papas appeared in Manoel de Oliveira’s “A Talking Picture” alongside Catherine Deneuve and John Malkovich.
In 1971, she won the National Board of Review’s best actress award for her role as “Helen of Troy in “The Trojan Women” with good friend Katharine Hepburn and Vanessa Redgrave.