Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician (1920–1994)
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Melina Mercouri" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR(May 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
Melina Mercouri
Mercouri in 1982
Minister for Culture
In office 13 October 1993 – 6 March 1994
Prime Minister
Andreas Papandreou
Preceded by
Dora Bakoyanni
Succeeded by
Thanos Mikroutsikos
In office 21 October 1981 – 2 July 1989
Prime Minister
Andreas Papandreou
Preceded by
Andreas Andrianopoulos
Succeeded by
Anna Psarouda-Benaki
Member of the Hellenic Parliament for Piraeus B
In office 20 November 1977 – 7 May 1985
Member of the Hellenic Parliament for National list
In office 17 June 1985 – 6 March 1994
Personal details
Born
Maria Amalia Mercouri
(1920-10-18)18 October 1920 Athens, Greece
Died
6 March 1994(1994-03-06) (aged 73) Upper East Side, New York City, U.S.
Resting place
First Cemetery of Athens
Political party
PASOK
Spouses
Panos Harokopos
(m. 1941; div. 1962)
Jules Dassin
(m. 1966)
Parents
Stamatis Mercouris
Irene Lappa
Alma mater
National Theatre of Greece Drama School
Occupation
Actress
singer
(1945–1977)
Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (Greek: Μαρία Αμαλία "Μελίνα" Μερκούρη, 18 October 1920[a][1] – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician. She came from a political family that was prominent over multiple generations. She received an Academy Award nomination and won a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award for her performance in the film Never on Sunday (1960). Mercouri was also nominated for one Tony Award, three Golden Globes and two BAFTA Awards in her acting career. In 1987 she was awarded a special prize in the first edition of the Europe Theatre Prize.[2]
Mercouri was a member of the Hellenic Parliament, elected as a representative of PASOK. In October 1981, she became the first female Minister of Culture and Sports. She has the longest tenure of any of Greece's Ministers of Culture, having served from 1981 to 1989 and then from 1993 until her death in 1994, during PASOK governments. Mercouri's political activism included her long campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marbles.[3] One of her greatest achievements was the establishment of the European Capitals of Culture, with Athens chosen as the first capital in 1985.[4]
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
^She once gave her year of birth as 1922, ancestrylibrary.com. Accessed 4 May 2022.
^"I Edizione". Premio Europa per il Teatro (in Italian). Retrieved 11 December 2022.
Maria Amalia "Melina" Mercouri (Greek: Μαρία Αμαλία "Μελίνα" Μερκούρη, 18 October 1920 – 6 March 1994) was a Greek actress, singer, activist, and politician...
filmed in France and Istanbul, Turkey with his future second wife, MelinaMercouri and Oscar winner Peter Ustinov. Most of Dassin's films in the decades...
Dassin. The film tells the story of Ilya, a contented Greek prostitute (MelinaMercouri), and Homer (Dassin), an earnest American classicist. Homer attempts...
cities can be a European Capital of Culture simultaneously. In 1985, MelinaMercouri, Greece's Minister of Culture, and her French counterpart Jack Lang...
shot on various locations in Portugal and starring James Garner, MelinaMercouri, Sandra Dee, Anthony Franciosa, and Robert Coote. Filmed scenes with...
Member of Parliament for the Left; his daughter was the famous actress MelinaMercouri, Minister of Culture in the socialist government of Andreas Papandreou...
Karolos Koun Theatre Awards Dimitris Horn Award, for best young actor MelinaMercouri Award, for best young actress Gríman - The Icelandic Theatre Awards...
1978 Greek drama film directed by Jules Dassin. The story follows MelinaMercouri as Maya, an actress playing Medea, who seeks out Brenda Collins, portrayed...
Sunday was nominated for five Academy Awards, and its lead actress, MelinaMercouri, won the Best Actress Award at Cannes. Cacoyannis's Zorba the Greek...
Greek Parliament (MP) and cabinet ministers, whilst his granddaughter MelinaMercouri was an award-winning actress who later was elected an MP and served...
The first award ceremony took place in 2004 at the Theatro Vrahon - MelinaMercouri. The awards have been held since 2010 at the Faliro Sports Pavilion...
became a stepson of Greek actress, activist and Minister of Culture MelinaMercouri following his father's second marriage in 1966. Moving to France, Dassin...
directed by Joseph Losey. It stars MelinaMercouri and Keith Michell. The beautiful and fiery gypsy Belle (MelinaMercouri) marries Regency playboy Sir Paul...