Charismatic Greek Actor Ilias Logothetis Dies at 85

Greek theater and the film industry mourned the loss of renowned actor Ilias Logothetis, who passed away at the age of 85 on Wednesday.

Logothetis was married to actress Maria Zacharis and had a son Alexandros Logothetis, who aims to continue his father’s legacy in the acting industry.

His passing was announced by Alexandros, who shared a message on social media, writing “Goodbye blue eyes.”

Logothetis was known for having a successful career, where he initially started with opera before finding his calling in acting.

In his early days, he studied at Panteion University and was a graduate of the Political Science Department. He was known for being heavily involved in the renowned Karolos Koun Art Theatre from which he graduated in 1967. Karolos Koun was a prominent Greek theater director, widely known for his lively staging of ancient Greek plays.

He then went on to make his silver screen debut in 1970 with the film Babylonia.

Throughout his career, Logothetis collaborated with big names in the industry, including Yannis Fertis-Xenia Kalogeropoulou, Kakia Analitis-Kosta Rigopoulos, Nikos Xanthopoulos, Thanasis Veggos, Angelos Antonopoulos-Miranta Kounelakis, Spyros Evaggelatos Amphitheatre, and many others.

Ilias Logothetis gained widespread acclaim

He gained widespread acclaim, particularly for his performance in Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land, receiving praise for his portrayal of Spooner.

“Ilias Logothetis was a great actor who studied under Karolos Koun,” said the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni. “He performed with passion, honesty and ethics important roles, giving them life in the theater, in Greek cinema, on television.”

She added that Pinter congratulated him on his performance as Spooner in his work and asked him what made his acting so special.

“And the modest Ilias who was loved by the Greek public, to whatever kind of theatrical speech he indulged in, he replied that his Mediterranean temperament made him put a little emotion into every role he played.

“This temperament, his attitude to life, his dedication, and his love for the Art, were what made him stand out,” Mendoni said.

“Serious, and highly educated, Ilias collaborated twice with Finos Film, in the famous Papaflessa (1971) and in the special film Thanasis in the Land of Slapping (1976), one of the company’s last films,” said Finos Film, a film production company that dominated the Greek industry from 1943 to 1977.

“We will miss the effortless kindness and tact that characterized this great actor and man of the spirit,” the company said. “Our deepest condolences to his family.”