Sotiris Moustakas
Sotiris Moustakas was a Greek Cypriot actor born in Kato Platres, Limassol. His acting career lasted for over four decades, with 1960s–80s as his most successful years. He was described as an "Actor without a Label" cause of his variety of playing in theatrical plays, films, television movies, television series, videotape/videocassette movies and many more with great reviews and success in all of them. He became internationally famous with his role "Mimithos" in 1964 Oscar-winning film Zorba the Greek. After that he became a national star in Cyprus and Greece, being part of the Golden Age of the Cypriot and Greek Cinema. His last cinema performance was in 2007 Goya Award-winning film El Greco, where he played "Titian". He gave his voice in the Greek dub of 2007 Disney film Meet the Robinsons, as his last role. He mainly played comedy roles throughout his career. Moustakas was regarded as one of the greatest Cypriot and Greek comedian actors in history.
Early life
He was born in Kato Platres of Limassol District, in British Cyprus. He was the youngest of seven siblings.
Career
One of the most significant comic actors of Greece and Cyprus, Moustakas graduated from the National Theater of Greece Drama School and was known for his portrayal of offbeat, neurotic yet likable characters. In many of his movies he portrayed multiple roles. He appeared primarily in modern films and plays, although he also performed several roles in classical works.
Moustakas' international film debut came in 1964 in the Oscar-winning Zorba the Greek starring Anthony Quinn, in which he played Mimithos, the village idiot. For that film Moustakas lost his Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor only for two more minutes of filming. As Moustakas said, they had filmed many more minutes of playing, but they didn't put all the scenes on the film's final cut.
Although his recent work was mainly in the theatre, he also had a role in the 2007 film El Greco.
Political activities
Although not widely advertised, Moustakas in his youth was involved in the Greek Cypriot national liberation struggle of EOKA against British colonialism, acting as a messenger, and writing political graffiti. During that period, he was arrested by the British and spent 7 months in jail.
Death
Moustakas felt unwell during rehearsals for an upcoming Aristophanes play, and was transferred to the General State Hospital of Athens. He was taken to the intensive care unit, where he died in the early morning hours of 4 June 2007. He had been suffering from cancer for some years. At his funeral, his coffin was draped with a Greek flag.
Personal life
He was married to the Greek actress Maria Bonellou, with whom he had a daughter, Alexia. His wife, Maria, died on August 30, 2007, due to Alzheimer, at the age of 66, about 3 months after the death of Sotiris.
Selected filmography
Zorba the Greek .... MimithosTo Prosopo tis imeras Beethoven kai bouzouki .... OrfeasUne balle au coeur, a.k.a. Devil at My Heels, a.k.a. Mia sfaira stin kardia )Na zi kaneis i na mi zi? .... SolomonFos... Nero... Tilefono, Oikopeda me doseis .... KrikorFifis, o aktypitos .... Michalios YatayanakisKalos ilthe to dollario .... HenryMartha .... Hector O Modistros .... StefanosO Kosmos trellathike... .... PythagorasO Hazobabas .... DoctorKolonaki: Diagogi miden .... Pavlos AspromallisI Kori tis Pentagiotissas Gia tin kardia tis oraias Elenis, )Erotes sti Lesvo Adiki katara Athina, i klopi tis odou Stadiou .... SotosTha ta kapso, ta lefta mou .... Kleon KarapanosTa Psihoula tou kosmou O Tsahpinis .... KosmasO Petheropliktos .... LavredisOi Mnistires tis Pinelopis .... FilipposO Boufos .... Dinos ZafiriouPethaino kathe ximeroma I Oraia tou kourea .... ThomasXypna koroido .... Faidonas TramountanasH omorfh kai o tzanabetis Fovatai o Yannis to therio .... AnastasisEna asteio koritsi .... AntonioTo Paidi tis mamas .... FotisO Ahaireftos .... Miltos KourkoutoulisI Tyhi mou trelathike .... LiakosAnastenazoun oi penies .... ManoliosArhipseftaros .... PaminosThymios enantion Tsitsou ... a.k.a. Thymios enantion olon .... TimolisOi Andres xeroun n' agapoun Gia mia choufta Touristries .... Police OfficerEnas nomotagis politis .... Grigoris MonahogiosGynaikes sta opla .... PresidentO Parthenokynigos .... IraklisKathenas me tin trella tou... .... SotirisGefsi apo Ellada! .... Hungry ManTo Megalo routhouni .... Alexandros / Thiseas DoxapatrisI 'Nona' .... Thiseas Doxapatris / NonaPater Gomenios .... MeniosO Kamikazi tsantakias .... PoseidonasEgo... kai to pouli mou .... KokosTo Psonio .... Sotiris HaritosTo Paizo kai poly andras .... Zinon PetridisKai aftos to violi tou ... Lefteris PaganikskisMitsos, o rezilis .... MitsosTa Touvla .... Sotos StournosO Roz gatos .... Archimidis Mantouvalos / EfterpiO Dynasteias .... Bebis Karinkopoulos / Dionisakis 'Tarzan' Karinkopoulos / OdysseasMerikes ton protimoun... ilektroniko .... Telis / ParaskevasO Petheropliktos .... IakovosSexy batsos kai skliros .... Sotiris Sotiriou / Antonis KourouflexisO Tsitsiolinos .... Lefteris SpanomariasKourio o Periklis .... PeriklisErastis gia 11 nihtes .... Angelos KlapsopoulosVaris glykos kai meraklis .... AristeidisEnas trelos tha mas sossei .... TimolaosAndrea prohora Diariktis me to zori .... Michalis PapadimitrakopoulosTolmi kai afassia .... Aristeidis AntoniouMhn to paizeis ypourge! Peinasmenos kai jenleman .... SotirisO Jogadoros .... Nektarios BataktsisMia treli treli nychta .... Sokratis LeonardosKapetan Fortounas .... ManolisO Alepous .... AlepousKavafis Mila mou kai mantarinia Oi Aparadektoi - Epitheorisi TV EpisodePetsi kai kokali Me ti ginaika tou filou mou armege lagous kai koureve helones Ti vraki tha paradossis mori? Ta Haidemena paidia .... Nikiforos AO haros vgike pagania Emeis xasan autoi masan Kai fagane autoi kala kai emeis heirotera El Greco .... Titian