by Jose Louwes

Created on: March 18, 2009   Last Updated: March 19, 2009

The most famous Greek actor is actually an actress, Melina Mercouri. Melina Mercouri is one of the greatest women in the 20th century. She was a woman with many talents from being an excellent actress of international fame to a fierce politician that left her mark on Greek politics and culture.

Melina Mercuri was born on 18 October 1920. She was the grand-daughter of Spyros Mercouri, who was a very popular and successful mayor of Athens, and daughter to Stamatis Mercouri, who was politically involved in the Greek Democratic Party. Upon completion of her secondary education, she joined the national drama school of Greece and when she graduated she joined the National Theatre of Greece. Her first big role was that of Blanche Dubois in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' staged by Karolos Koun's Art Theatre in 1949.

Melina Mercouri didn't only stay at the theatre. In 1955 she started her film career with the famous movie "Stella". The film was a huge success and received special praise at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. In Cannes, she met her future husband, Jules Dassin, an American filmmaker. With Jules Dassin she started making films in 1957. In 1958 she starred in films as "The Law', Never on Sunday',"' Topkapi' and 'Phaedra'. In 1960, she got the best actress prize in Cannes for the film 'Never on Sunday'. This film also received 5 oscar nominations.

Melina Mercouri has starred in many films, 19 to be precise and many theatrical plays. But she was not only a famous actress, she combined her film and theatre career with politics. She became first politically involved during the dictatorship in Greece, but later in 1977 she became a member of Parliament. In 1981 till 1989, she was Minister of Culture with the PASOK government of Andreas Papandreou and from 1993 until her death in 1994.

Among her many activities as Minister of Culture, Melina Mercuri started her famous campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, who were and still are in the British Museum. Another great achievement as Minister of Culture, was the establishment of the institution of the Cultural Capitals of Europe in 1985.

Merlina Mercouri was a great politician with an enormous love for Greece and the Greek people. She will be remembered as that great politician, but first she will be remembered as the actress that achieved international fame and made the world aware of Greek actors.

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