Sotiris Moustakas (; 17 September 1940 – 4 June 2007) 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 (many different genres), 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 (1950s–1970s). 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 on 17 September 1940, in Kato Platres. 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.Η τελευταία πρόβα του Μουστάκα Newspaper article in Simerini, June 05, 2007

Death He was admitted to the Athens Euroclinic with an acute respiratory infection, after feeling very unwell during a rehearsal at the theatre on 3 June 2007. He died of septic shock in the early hours of 4 June 2007, at age 66. He suffered from cancer in the last years of his life. 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 (1964) (a.k.a. Alexis Zorbas, USA) .... Mimithos To Prosopo tis imeras (1965) Beethoven kai bouzouki (1965) .... Orfeas Une balle au coeur (1966) (a.k.a. A Bullet Through the Heart, (International: English title), a.k.a. Devil at My Heels (USA), a.k.a. Mia sfaira stin kardia (Greece)) Na zi kaneis i na mi zi? (1966) .... Solomon Fos... Nero... Tilefono, Oikopeda me doseis (1966) .... Krikor Fifis, o aktypitos (1966) .... Michalios Yatayanakis Kalos ilthe to dollario (1967) .... Henry Martha (1967) .... Hector (uncredited) O Modistros (1967) .... Stefanos O Kosmos trellathike... (1967) .... Pythagoras O Hazobabas (1967) .... Doctor Kolonaki: Diagogi miden (1967) .... Pavlos Aspromallis I Kori tis Pentagiotissas (1967) Gia tin kardia tis oraias Elenis (1967) (a.k.a. Theotrella neiata... xemoramena geramata), (Greece: reissue title)) Erotes sti Lesvo (1967) (a.k.a. O Thanatos ehase to paihnidi, (Greece)) Adiki katara (1967) Athina, i klopi tis odou Stadiou (1968) (a.k.a. Nude as a Trap) .... Sotos Tha ta kapso, ta lefta mou (1968) .... Kleon Karapanos Ta Psihoula tou kosmou (1968) O Tsahpinis (1968) .... Kosmas O Petheropliktos (1968) .... Lavredis Oi Mnistires tis Pinelopis (1968) .... Filippos O Boufos (1968) .... Dinos Zafiriou Pethaino kathe ximeroma (1969) I Oraia tou kourea (1969) .... Thomas Xypna koroido (1969) .... Faidonas Tramountanas H omorfh kai o tzanabetis (1969) Fovatai o Yannis to therio (1969) (a.k.a. Tha pao stin zougla me ton Tarzan) .... Anastasis Ena asteio koritsi (1970) .... Antonio To Paidi tis mamas (1970) .... Fotis O Ahaireftos (1970) .... Miltos Kourkoutoulis I Tyhi mou trelathike (1970) .... Liakos Anastenazoun oi penies (1970) .... Manolios Arhipseftaros (1971) .... Paminos Thymios enantion Tsitsou (1971) (a.k.a. Dyo sainia, Ta (Greece: TV title) ... a.k.a. Thymios enantion olon (Greece: TV title) .... Timolis Oi Andres xeroun n' agapoun (1971) (a.k.a. To timima tis agapis, (Greece: video box title) Gia mia choufta Touristries (1971) .... Police Officer Enas nomotagis politis (1974) .... Grigoris Monahogios Gynaikes sta opla (1979) .... President O Parthenokynigos (1980) .... Iraklis Kathenas me tin trella tou... (1980) .... Sotiris Gefsi apo Ellada! (1980) .... Hungry Man To Megalo routhouni (1981) .... Alexandros / Thiseas Doxapatris I 'Nona''' (1981) (a.k.a. Nona enantion mafiozou, (Greece: video title)) .... Thiseas Doxapatris / Nona Pater Gomenios (1982) .... Menios O Kamikazi tsantakias (1982) .... Poseidonas Ego... kai to pouli mou (1982) (a.k.a. Knock out ston erota, (Greece: TV title) .... Kokos To Psonio (1983) .... Sotiris Haritos To Paizo kai poly andras (1983) .... Zinon Petridis Kai aftos to violi tou (a.k.a. An itan to violi pouli) (1984)... Lefteris Paganikskis Mitsos, o rezilis (1984) (a.k.a. O Glykopseftis, (Greece: TV title)) .... Mitsos Ta Touvla (1985) .... Sotos Stournos O Roz gatos (1986) .... Archimidis Mantouvalos / Efterpi O Dynasteias (1986) .... Bebis Karinkopoulos / Dionisakis 'Tarzan' Karinkopoulos / Odysseas Merikes ton protimoun... ilektroniko (1986) .... Telis / Paraskevas O Petheropliktos (1987) .... Iakovos Sexy batsos kai skliros (1987) .... Sotiris Sotiriou / Antonis Kourouflexis O Tsitsiolinos (1987) .... Lefteris Spanomarias Kourio o Periklis (1987) .... Periklis Erastis gia 11 nihtes (1988) .... Angelos Klapsopoulos Varis glykos kai meraklis (1988) .... Aristeidis Enas trelos tha mas sossei (1988) .... Timolaos Andrea prohora (1988) Diariktis me to zori (1988) .... Michalis Papadimitrakopoulos Tolmi kai afassia (1988) .... Aristeidis Antoniou Mhn to paizeis ypourge! (1988) Peinasmenos kai jenleman (1989) .... Sotiris O Jogadoros (1989) .... Nektarios Bataktsis Mia treli treli nychta (1989) .... Sokratis Leonardos Kapetan Fortounas (1989) .... Manolis O Alepous (1990) .... Alepous Kavafis (1996) Mila mou kai mantarinia (1999) Oi Aparadektoi (1 episode) - Epitheorisi (????) TV Episode Petsi kai kokali (2000, TV Movie) Me ti ginaika tou filou mou (2000) armege lagous kai koureve helones (2000) Ti vraki tha paradossis mori? (2001, TV Movie) Ta Haidemena paidia (2001, TV Series) .... Nikiforos A O haros vgike pagania (2003) Emeis xasan autoi masan (2003) Kai fagane autoi kala kai emeis heirotera (2005) El Greco'' (2007) .... Titian (final film role)

Awards Year Award Category Film Result1994"Panathinea" Theatre AwardBest ActorHamlet1996"Papadoukas" AwardBest ActorTwo Jobs2003Karolos Koun AwardLifetime Achievement AwardFor his contribution in Greek revue theatre

External links

Veteran Greek comic actor Sotiris Moustakas dies at 67 Sotiris Moustakas: "Fought in EOKA" - Excerpts from his famous interview where he describes his life during the EOKA national liberation struggle

References