Helena Kallianiotes (born March 24, 1938) is a Greek-born American film actress. In 1973, she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture for her role as Jackie Burdette in Kansas City Bomber.
Career overview "Helena’s dancing so overwhelmed me with awe and happiness that when I heard later that she was at a place on Hollywood Boulevard called the Greek Village, I dragged every date there and made him pay clip-joint prices so I could see the girl move." - Eve Babitz
During the late 1960s, Helena Kallianiotes was the resident belly dancer at The Intersection, a Middle Eastern Greek and Balkan members-only international folk dance club at 2735 West Temple Street and North Lafayette Park Place in Los Angeles, California. This engagement led to her first film appearance as an uncredited belly dancer in the 1968 film Head, directed by Bob Rafelson and starring The Monkees. Two years later, Kallianiotes was cast in another Rafelson film, Five Easy Pieces, starring Jack Nicholson and Karen Black. She played Palm Apodaca, a neurotic, cleanliness-obsessed lesbian hitch-hiker, traveling with her companion (played by Toni Basil).
In 1972, Kallianiotes appeared in her most celebrated role as the ultra-aggressive roller derby skater Jackie Burdette in Kansas City Bomber, for which she received a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the 1973 Golden Globe Awards. Her other film roles include Mata Hari in Shanks (1974), Elaine Reavis in The Drowning Pool (1975), Anita in Stay Hungry, the Visionary Woman in The Passover Plot (both 1976), and a future-reading brothel madam in Nicolas Roeg's Eureka (1983).
Life outside of film In 1975, Kallianiotes appeared on the cover of Art Garfunkel's album, Breakaway.
In 1978, for about four years, Kallianiotes hosted a Monday roller-skating club night, in Sherman Square Roller Rink, Skataway, after holding a birthday party, at the corner of Reseda Boulevard and Sherman Way, with jackets by Richard Tyler for Cher, Ed Begley Jr., Allegra Huston, Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, and others.
From 1985 to 1991, she operated Helena's, a private members-only club at 2735 West Temple Street and North Lafayette Park Place in Los Angeles, across from LAPD Rampart Division station. From 1967 to 1984, the location was formerly The Intersection, a folk dance coffeehouse, similar to Intersection for the Arts.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1968 Head Belly Dancer Uncredited 1969 Easy Rider Woman in Commune Uncredited 1970 Five Easy Pieces Palm Apodaca Was featured in the famous "chicken salad sandwich" scene with Jack Nicholson, Karen Black and Toni Basil. The Baby Maker Wanda 1972 Kansas City Bomber Jackie Burdette Nominated for 1973 Golden Globe Award for "Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role." 1974 Shanks Mata Hari A moll in a biker gang, all of whom use names of historical persons (Einstein, Napoleon, Goliath) 1975 The Drowning Pool Elaine Reavis 1976 Stay Hungry Anita The Passover Plot Visionary Woman 1978 Renaldo and Clara herself 1983 Eureka Frieda 1990 Catchfire Grace Carelli
Television Year Title Role Notes 1979 CHiPs Lita Episode: "Roller Disco: Part 1"Episode: "Roller Disco: Part 2" 1984 Faerie Tale Theatre Gina (as Helena Kallioniotes) Episode: "Pinocchio" 1985 Alfred Hitchock Presents Maria Kyprianov (segment "An Unlocked Window") Episode: "Pilot" 2017 Star Maggie Episode: "The Devil You Know"Episode: "Alibi"
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Production Result 1973 30th Golden Globe Awards Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Kansas City Bomber
References
External links
Helena Kallianiotes - Film Comment Helena Kallianiotes - Getty Images Helena Kallianiotes - alamy