The world-famous Albanian actress, Irena Pappas, has passed away at the age of 96.
The Albanian origin of the well-known Greek actress Irena Papa Leleku has often been disputed, especially by Greek biographers. During the conversations she had with the Albanian actor Bekim Fehmiu, she admitted her Albanian origins.
The Greek researcher Aristidh Kollia also paid attention to her Albanian origin in his book "Arvanitas and the origin of the Greeks" published in Athens in 1983.
The actress herself, in an interview, when asked why she was so beautiful, answered that "I look like my mother. My mother was ezmere like me."
Irene Papas, together with the well-known Albanian actor, played in the film entitled "A child called Jesus", where she announced that she has Albanian origins.
"I cannot leave this world without telling the truth. I am Albanian. I was born in 1926 and my last name was originally Leleku", she said.
Irene Leleku, Papas, has played various roles in 90 films.
Her most prominent role is that of Penelope, in the Italian series "Odysseus" together with the legendary Kosovar Bekim Fehmiu.
She gained international recognition through such popular award-winning films as The Guns of Navarone (1961) and Zorba the Greek (1964). She was a powerful protagonist in films including The Trojan Women (1971) and Iphigenia (1977). She played the lead roles in Antigone (1961) and Electra (1962). She also played the unforgettable Drosoula in Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001).
Papas won best actress awards at the Berlin International Film Festival for Antigone and from the National Board of Review for The Trojan Women. Her career awards include the Golden Arrow Award in 1993 at the Hamptons International Film Festival and the Golden Lion Award in 2009 at the Venice Biennale.
