Tzeni Karezi (; 12 January 1932 – 26 July 1992) also known as Jenny Karezi, was a Greek film and stage actress. She was one of the most famous actresses in Greece.

Biography Early life Evgenia Karpouzi was born in Athens, Greece, to a mathematician father from Mesolonghi and a high school teacher mother from Aigio. Her grandfather used to sell watermelons, called "" in Greek (stemming from ), in his spare time, which is the source of her last name, Karpouzi (neuter singular). She studied at the French convent school Kalamari in Thessaloniki and then at the French St.Joseph convent school, in Athens.She learned French fluently. When she was a teenager, her father left the family and she continued to live with her mother. Her father died in a car accident in 1971.

In 1951, she was accepted at the Greek National Theatre Drama School(Εθνικό Θέατρο). The playwright Angelos Terzakis and the director Dimitris Rontiris were among her teachers. Upon graduating in 1954, she was immediately thrust into starring roles in the theatre and the cinema playing alongside such actors as Alexis Minotis and Katina Paxinou.

Career Her stage debut was at the Marika Kotopouli theatre in the French comedy, La belle Heléne, with Melina Mercouri and Vasilis Diamantopoulos. In 1955, Karezi made her cinema debut in the Alekos Sakellarios’s comedy, Laterna, ftoheia kai filotimo in 1955, a massive success just like its sequel, Laterna, ftoheia kai garyfallo in 1957. For the soundtrack of the 1959 film To nisi ton genneon she recorded a song by the future Academy Award-winner Manos Hadjidakis, "Min ton rotas ton ourano" ("Do not ask the sky").

Her career flourished in the 1960s, when she headed her own theatre troupe in 1961 and starred in some of the most classic movies of the Greek cinema like, Lola (1964), Mia trelli... trelli oikogeneia (1965), Tzeni-Tzeni (1966), and Kontserto gia polyvola (1967). Her greatest film success was, Ta kokkina fanaria (The Red Lanterns; 1963), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Her last film appearance was in Aristophanes's Lysistrata (1972). Over the following decade, she continued to produce and star in such stage classics as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Medea and Electra. She appeared for the last time in theatre in 1990 in Loula Anagnostaki's play, Diamonds and the blues; suffering from terminal cervical cancer, she was in great pain and had to leave the theatre.

Personal life In May 1962, Karezi wed a journalist, Zahos Hadjifotiou, but this marriage ended in divorce two years later. In 1967, during the filming of Kontserto gia polyvola, she met Kostas Kazakos, with whom she had her only child, Konstantinos Kazakos, who became also an actor. They formed a popular duo and her repertoire shifted to more sophisticated and intellectual plays. They were led to prison where they spent several nights due to the play To megalo mas tsirko (Our Big Circus) in 1973, which insulted the Greek junta.

Death Tzeni Karezi died on 26 July 1992 from cancer at her home and was buried at public expense. She was believed to be 60 years old (varying different years of birth had been ascribed over the years). Thousands attended her funeral.

A metastatic cancer victim, she asked those close to her to make palliative care better known and to assist in its development so others suffering painful diseases or ailments would be able to live their last days with dignity. The Jenny Karezi Foundation is a non-profit Cancer Pain Relief and Palliative Care organization, founded in 1992, in memory of the Greek actress. The Foundation's mission is to relieve patients with cancer and other chronic diseases, through medical and psychological support.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1955 Laterna, ftoheia kai filotimo Kaiti box office: 126,530 1957 Dellistavrou kai ios Billy Mavrogianni box office: 106,356 I theia ap'to Chicago Katina Barda box office: 142,459 Laterna, ftoheia kai garyfallo Kaiti box office: 113,641 1958 To trellokoritso Jenny Mia laterna, mia zoi Miranda/Nina I limni ton pothon Miranda 1959 To nisi ton genneon Dona Taxidi me ton erota Gianna Navagia tis zois Foula 1960 To koroidaki tis despoinidos Julia box office: 115,029 Randevou stin Kerkyra Diana Laniti/Mirka box office: 95,664 Hristina Hristina I hionati kai ta 7 gerontopalikara Alexia/Marina box office: 88,074 1961 Poia einai i Margarita Margarita Kondostavrou 1962 Prodomeni agapi Anna I nyfi to skase 1963 Ta kokkina fanaria Eleni box office: 473,686Academy Award nomination - Best Foreign Language FilmCannes Film Festival nomination - Grand Prix du Festival International du Film 1964 Despoinis diefthyntis Lila Vasileiou box office: 402,143 Lola Lola Enas megalos erotas Lena box office: 202,607 1965 Mia trelli...trelli oikogeneia Mika box office: 521,134 1966 Tzeni Tzeni Tzeni Skoutari box office: 587,323 Une balle au coeur Carla 1967 Ekeinos ki ekeini She box office: 198,551 Kontserto gia polyvola Niki 1968 Enas ippotis gia ti Vasoula Vasoula Liontou box office: 347,441 Agapi kai aima Fani Geraka 1970 Mia gynaika stin Antistasi Anna Kolleti 1971 Manto Mavrogenous Manto Mavrogenous 1972 Erotiki symfonia Eirini/Betty Stergiou producer and writer Lysistrati Lysistrati International Thessaloniki Film Festival win - Best Production

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