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Irene Papas (Greek Ειρήνη Παππά; born September 3, 1926^[1] or September 3, 1929^[2]) is a Greek actress who has starred in over seventy films in a career spanning more than fifty years.

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 Electra. In 1977, she starred in the film Mohammad, Messenger of God (also known as The Message) about the origin of Islam, and the message of prophet Mohammad.

She has recently appeared in the film, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and is currently working in theatre in Portugal.

Contents 1 International awards and honours 2 Trivia 3 Quotations 4 Notes 5 External link

• 1962: Thessaloniki International Film Festival (Best Actress, for the film Elektra) — won
• 1962: Union of Greek Film Critics (Best Actress, for the film Elektra) — 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

• She was discovered by Elia Kazan.
• Federico Fellini was a huge admirer 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".
• In an interview, after the death of Marlon Brando, Papas said that she had an affair with the American actor in the past and that they remained "close friends" until the end.
• 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 "∞" (infinity). 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.
• In 1979 released an album entitled "Odes", (Polydor CD 833 864-2) with music performed (and partly composed) by Vangelis Papathanassiou (Vangelis). The words for the album were co-written by Arianna Stassinopoulos (Arianna Huffington). In 1986 Papas released a further album in collaboration with Vangelis, entitled "Rhapsodies" (Polydor CD 829 413-2). Vangelis was also the keyboardist with Aphrodite's Child on the album "666".

• "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".

1. ^ Irene Papas. IMDb. Retrieved on March 2, 2007.
2. ^ Irene Papas (French). CinEmotions.com (2004). Retrieved on March 2, 2007.

• Irene Papas at the Internet Movie Database