Greek cinema legend Nikos Xanthopoulos passes away aged 89

·

Nikos Xanthopoulos, a renowned actor of Greek classical cinema, passed away on Sunday at the age of 89 due to chronic heart disease, AMNA has reported.

Xanthopoulos has been hospitalised and remained in intensive care at a hospital in Athens, Greece for over a month before his death.

Greece’s Culture Minister, Lina Mendoni, paid tribute to Xanthopoulos in a statement and said he was a “familiar face at a time when Greece was changing at a rapid and dramatic rate.”

“Nikos Xanthopoulos was a deeply cultivated artist, a sensitive citizen towards the social messages of the times, a noble man, who expressed popular sentiment, the pain of refugees and internal migration in an authentic way,” Mendoni added.

The life of Xanthopoulos:

Born in Athens in 1934, Xanthopoulos began his career as a stage actor before transitioning to film.

Throughout his career, which lasted from 1958 to 1971, Xanthopoulos starred in 48 films and became known as a star of Greek melodrama, often portraying everyday people from lower working classes.

Xanthopoulos worked closely with director-producer Apostolos Tegopoulos and the film company KLAK Film, which helped make him a star in Greece during the dictatorship of the Junta.

Nikos Xanthopoulos.

His nickname was “to paidi tou laou” (the child of the people).

Xanthopoulos also recorded nine albums and sang and played the bouzouki.

He was married twice and had four children. His autobiography was published in 2005.

Source: AMNA.gr.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

From crisis to compassion: Timos Roussos and his family’s mercy mission in war-torn Cyprus

When Turkish troops landed on Cyprus on 20 July 1974, six-year-old Timos Roussos was sitting on the floor of his family’s home in Lemesos.

A granddaughter returns: Georgia Georgiou retraces her yiayia’s occupied village in Cyprus

When Georgia Georgiou handed over her Cypriot ID at the border checkpoint to cross into occupied northern Cyprus, she felt an ache.

‘You never get over it’: A childhood shattered by the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

On a warm July morning in 1974, 10-year-old Anastasia Di Loreto (née Karatzia) was jolted awake by the sound of bombs falling on Kyrenia.

Cyprus: The paradox of tolerance and impunity for Turkey

The lack of a unified, systematic and practical strategy on the part of Greece has led the Cyprus crisis into national disarray.

Lost homes and lingering hope: Greek-Cypriots reflect on Turkish invasion and its aftermath

From hidden stories to haunting memories, two Greek-Cypriot men share what it means to carry the burden of Cyprus’ past.

You May Also Like

‘Lucky to grow up in Australia but in Greece I also feel at home’: Ange Postecoglou

Celtic FC manager, Ange Postecoglou, opens up to The Greek Herald about his Greek upbringing and his football career.

Greece secures victory against Kosovo in UEFA Nations League second round

Greece has claimed its second victory in the UEFA Nations League after defeating Kosovo 1-0 at Pristina this morning.

Book on Greek Community of Melbourne’s history to be presented in Athens

A book detailing the history of the Greek Community of Melbourne will be presented at an event in Athens, Greece on Thursday, September 5.