The legendary Greek actress Mary Chronopoulou passed away today at 90 years old.
She was in critical condition in the hospital “Evangelismos” ICU with a severe craniocerebral injury caused when she fell at home and hit her head on a step. The actress was on mechanical support, but as doctors had reported, her health condition was critical from when she was hospitalised.
Born in Athens on July 16, 1933, Mary Chronopoulou established herself during the 1960s and 1970s as one of the most popular and important Greek actresses, enjoying great success during the golden age of cinema.
She had important performances in the new Greek cinema. She won the award for the first female role at the Thessaloniki Film Festival with the film “The Children of the Swallow” by Kostas Vrettakos in 1987. Other films in which she stood out were “The Red Lanterns” (1963), “The soil was painted red” (1966), “Too Late for Tears” (1968),” The Avenue of Hate (1968), and many more.
Mary Chronopoulou also appeared in three musicals by Yannis Dalianides, produced by Finos Film, in which she charmed the audience, both acting and performing. The films in question were ‘The Sea Beads’, ‘A Lady in the Bouzoukia’ and ‘Mermaids and Dudes’.
Her name is unknown beyond Greek borders, but her acting talent survived through the years, and one Greek generation after the other grew up learning by heart the inspired lines of her films or the vibrant songs full of hope and wit.
Chronopoulou left her mark during the Golden Age of the cinema in Greece.
She studied at the school of the National Theater and, in 1957, began acting in plays in the theatres of Athens.
In cinema, she started as an extra in the film “Happy Beginning” by Dinos Dimopoulos, while in 1958, she took a small role in “The Last Lie” by Michalis Kakogiannis.
In 1963, Mary Chronopoulou began to star in many dramatic films of “Finos Film” alongside great actors of the time, such as Nikos Kourkoulos, Phaidon Georgitsis, Dimitris Papamichail, Giorgos Fountas and Alekos Alexandrakis.
Films that made her stand out were “The Red Lights” (1963 ), “The Soil Was Painted Red” (1966), “Too Late for Tears” (1968), “The Avenue of Hate” (1968) and many more.
In 1968, she was voted best actress of the Greek cinema, winning the Critics Association award.
Mary Chronopoulou also appeared in three musicals by Yiannis Dalianidis, produced by Finos Film, which created some of the great, classic movies in Greece, in which she charmed the audience, both acting and singing.
On June 16, 2021, the Hellenic Film Academy honoured Mary Chronopoulou with a Life Award at the IRIS Awards Ceremony.
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