Martha Karagianni, a well-known Greek actress, died on September 18 at the age of 82. According to Greece’s Culture Minister Lina Mendoni, her death signals the end of Greek cinema’s golden period.
Lina went on:
“She was a lady known for her directness and spontaneity. Her presence brought us pleasure, beauty, and laughter, and it will continue to do so.”
Karagianni’s cause of death is unclear, and details regarding her burial will be published shortly.
Ακόμα ένα εισιτήριο για τη γειτονιά των αγγέλων…
Ακόμα μια απώλεια για τον ελληνικό πολιτισμό.
Αντίο Μάρθα! Χαιρετισμούς στον Κώστα!#RIP #martha_karagianni pic.twitter.com/CNUFH6zZwo
— Χρήστος Μπριστογιάννης 🇬🇷 🇺🇦 (@ChBristogiannis) September 18, 2022
The career of Martha Karagianni in the entertainment business
Martha Karagianni was born on November 6, 1939, in Keratsini. She studied dancing and began performing on the Lyric Stage. When she was eight years old, she performed in Loukia Sakellaropoulou’s children’s ballet. She began her cinematic career when she was just 17 years old, in 1956. Orestis Laskos directed her debut film, The Unknown. In 1957, she made her theatrical debut in Elephants and Fleas, when she met Giannis Dalianidis. Napoleon Eleftheriou encouraged her to appear in the revue after seeing her at Se la pen.
Martha made her television debut in Kostas Pretenderis’s serial O Dromos. Throughout her career, she has performed in a number of musicals and comedies. She worked largely with Dalianidis, and their first film together was Ziteitai Pseftis, which was released in 1961. She then appeared in Merikoi to Protimoun Krio, a Greek musical. Karagianni went on to act in a number of musicals, including Kati kai na kaiei, Koritsia gia filima, Mia Kyria sta Bouzoukia, Oi thalassies oi handres, and others. The first time she sung was for the film Kapetanios Gia Klamata, for the song San Fisa to Maistrali. She went on to perform songs for films such as Gorgones Kai Magkes, Mia Treli, and Treli Zontohira.
She then secured a deal with a film studio and participated in Giorgos Konstantinou’s 1965 film 5,000 Lies. In 1969, she featured in Pethaino Kathe Ximeroma, followed by I Oraia tou Kourea, in which she played a humorous character.
Her cooperation with Dalianidis and Kostas Voutsas expanded with the 1969 film To Anthropaki, followed by O Magkas me to Trikiklo. Martha made a comeback with Giorgos Lazaridis O Podogyros. Pethaino gia Sena and Apo Erota, her most recent films, were released in 2009 and 2014, respectively.
She was a part of the group of Georgia Vasileiadou and Vasilis Avlonitis and had a good career in theater. She has appeared in theatrical revues with celebrities like as Nikos Stavridis, Nikos Rizos, Giannis Gionakis, Sperantza Vrana, Giannis Fermis, Sotiris Moustakas, Marika Nezer, and others. Martha Karagianni is survived by family members whose identities have not been revealed. She was married to Dimitrios Stefanakos, a Greek player who died in December of last year.
