Anna Kyriakou | WatchedThis
Anna Kyriakou
Acting
Biography
Anna Kyriakou (Athens, January 17, 1929 - October 13, 2025) was a Greek actress She studied at the Drama School of the National Theater, but in 1954, having already begun her career in acting, she moved to Paris, where she attended two years of classes at the famous Charles Dulain School with professor Jean Villard. In 1945, as a first-year student at the National Theater School, she participated in Pelos Katselis' play "The Merchant of Venice" which was staged at the National Theater's summer theater in Klafthmonos Square. The famous director had chosen Kyriakou along with other young actors from the school to fill the roles. In the following years, and while she had graduated from the school, she met Vasilis Logothetidis with whom she collaborated in the plays “Miss 39”, “Delistavrou and Son”, “He Stepped on the Melon Peel”, “The Lady of Maxim” and “Neither Cat Nor Damage” in the role of Lolota. Upon her return from Paris, she starred alongside Dimitris Myrat, Alekos Alexandrakis, Dinos Iliopoulos and Mimis Fotopoulos in important plays by Greek and foreign authors, while from 1960 to 1981 she took part with great success in 34 plays by the National Theatre. In 1982, she accepted the proposal of Christos Politis and Antonis Antipas to collaborate with them in the play “The Tastes of Mr. Sloan” at the Aplo Theater of Kallithea. In 1998, she will appear for the last time in the theater with the play “Unplug the Minister” directed by Reppas - Papathanasiou. Her debut in cinema took place in 1949 with the film “Erotic Journey” written and directed by Yannis Karydis and which is unfortunately considered lost today. A year later, in 1950, she crossed the threshold of Finos Film, participating in the legendary “Methystaka” by George Tzavellas with Orestis Makris in the title role. In total, she made four films under the Finos Film label, with the most successful in terms of performance being the 1961 comedy “A Liar is Wanted” directed by Yannis Dalianidis and based on the play of the same name by Dimitris Psathas. In 1972, she made her first appearance on the small screen, participating in an episode of Kostas Mourselas’ satirical series “This and That”. Many more roles followed in various television series, but the one that made her particularly popular with the general public was that of the brioche Aunt Bebeka in 1990 in the unforgettable “Three Graces” by the writing duo Reppas – Papathanasiou. However, her presence from 1972 to 1983 in important theatrical works in the context of the shows "The Small Theatre", "The Monday Theatre" and "The Big Theatre", as well as the recording of works by distinguished creators for the radio, was also important. Her appearance in the cinema was also notable: "Safe Sex" (1999), The Cry Came Out of Heaven " (2001), "Oxygono" (2003) etc. She took part in many TV series, from "He and That", "Our Neighbor" and "Yougerman" in the 1970s, to "The Three Graces" (1989 - 1992) in which she played the legendary Aunt Bebeka. She appeared in a guest role in "Constantinos and Helens", playing the role of Aunt Maros, as well as in "Seven Deadly Mothers-in-Law", where she played the evil mother-in-law. In September 2025, a book with her biography was published, entitled "An Actress, an Era". Anna Kyriakou passed away on October 13, 2025, at the age of 96.
Filmography Movies
Acting
Zorba the Greek
An uptight English writer traveling to Crete on a matter of business finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.
Blackmail Boy
In the small, closed community of a provincial town, Magda tries to maintain a balance within a family facing many serious problems. The families apparently normal, bourgeois, every-day life will crack open, bringing to the surface hatred and passions of the kind that lie well-hidden in the mists of the nearby lake. An intense plot and a totally unexpected ending make up this film, which features characters who are vulnerable, innocent and ordinary, but who become ruthless and callous, worrying only about protecting their financial resources. The offences are disproportionately serious compared to the financial benefits they try to secure
Poisonous Women
It is a story of a normal, everyday Greek family that each member turns out to be wacko or gets wacko by the other members. The father is the stoic figure that accepts everything. The mother has a middle age crisis and takes advantage of her husbands inability. The older brother is a doctor of psychology and has everything under control (or believe so) and the younger brother does nothing with his life acclaiming that he is a filmmaker.
Lily of the Harbor
Captain Giakoumis makes the big decision to forsake the sea and live peacefully close to his wife and his adopted son, Andreas, who is about to sit for examinations in order to become a lieutenant. However, a terrible secret burdens his soul. He has a daughter, Agni, whom he had years ago when he had an affair with Maria, a prostitute from Troumpa. Maria, before she died, expressed the wish that Giakoumis recognize their daughter as his child. He, however, refused, since Agni ended up becoming a prostitute. The girl, to take revenge on her father, starts an affair with her half-brother with the intention of dragging him down into the mud. In the end, however, she falls in love with him, and this love blesses everyone and everything.
Father-in-Law With a Heart of Gold
A few hours after the arrival of Aristeidis (Dinos Iliopoulos), Mary's (Kakia Analyti) soon to be fiance, her father Andreas (Vasilis Diamantopoulos), an upstanding citizen, lies about having a meeting with the Bishop and instead goes to meet his neighbor Betty (Anna Kyriakou). Aristeidis, on his way to Mary's house as a series of misfortunes and ends up in a fight with Andreas (whom he does not know) while he is with Betty at a studio apartment.
Silence
Mrs. Anthoula, an elderly lady with hearing problems, is in danger of being evicted out of her flat. Mrs. Dafni, a social-worker, will try to help her.
Erotic Journey
A spicy romantic comedy about the trials and tribulations of a beautiful girl in love, whose boyfriend gets involved with a sensual woman from high society.
Ririka
An actress, Ririka, charms a maharaja who is visiting Greece. She will use her charm to secure the maharaja's help for all her relatives, associates, and friends, who urgently need a boost to their careers.
The Drunkard
After losing his son in WW2, a poor cobbler has become a drunkard and laughing stock of the whole neighborhood, besetting his daughter. When his daughter falls in love with a rich young man, he tries in vain to hide his passion from the young man's family...
Groom Urgently Wanted
A mature woman, a widow with a daughter of marrying age, is trying to rebuild her life, but all the men she approaches are interested in her daughter and not herself. After several failed attempts, she eventually manages to find a man of her age.
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