During her more-than-50-year career, Papas dedicated herself to both cinema and theater where she played Antigone in “Sophocles’ tragedy,” performed at the Hellenic National Theater, and later adapted to the big screen.

Her fame was not catapulted to the international scene until her performance in “The Guns of Navarone” (1961), “Electra” (1962), and “Zorba, the Greek” (1964), all of them nominated for the Oscar Awards.

The actress, a symbol of Mediterranean culture, participated in more than 70 films, giving her great prestige in the world of art, in addition to receiving several awards such as Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival in 1961 and a 2009 Golden Lion in Venice for her outstanding artistic career.

As a dancer and singer, she collaborated with film directors such as Franco Zeffirelli, Costas Gavras, and Franco Rossi and was also awarded the Order of the Phoenix in 1995, a high national distinction.

Although the Ministry did not announce the cause of her death, it was known that the actress’s health was fragile, as she had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease since 2013.

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