Elena Nathanael

Elena Nathanael Έλενα Ναθαναήλ
Born	Eleni Delivassili-Nathanael January 19, 1947 Athens, Greece
Died	March 4, 2008 (aged 61) Athens, Greece
Occupation	actress
Years active	1963–2007
Partner(s)	Tasos Mitropoulos
Children	Inka
Awards	Thessaloniki Film Festival - Best Actress 1968 Randevou me mia agnosti - Christina

Elena Nathanael (Greek: Έλενα Ναθαναήλ, January 19, 1947 – March 4, 2008) was a popular Greek film actress.

Biography

Early life

Elena Nathanael was born Eleni Delivassili-Nathanael,^[1][2] in Nea Filadelfeia, Athens, to a well-off family. Delivassili was her father's surname and Nathanael was her mother's one, but she had kept both of them, although she was credited and became famous as Nathanael. Her father was a textile designer and manufacturer, an Asia Minor Greek descended from Ayvalık, while her mother was a Maniot. She studied drama at the Pelos Katselis Drama School.

Career

Her impressively good looks got her noticed in the 1960s by producers and directors of the then-flourishing Greek cinema. She first appeared at the cinema, in the movie Kati na kaiei in 1964, directed by Giannis Dalianidis. Her second screen role was in 1965, in the German movie Wälsungenblut, directed by Rolf Thiele and based on a Thomas Mann novel. A few more parts followed in Greek movies of the late sixties and in most of her roles she was featured as a spoilt rich girl.

In 1968 she got the "Best Actress Award" in the International Thessaloniki Film Festival for her role in the movie Randevou me mia agnosti. In the early 1970s she established her screen persona as a free-spirited, beautiful young woman and became a fashion icon. The abrupt decline of the Greek commercial cinema during that decade had an unpleasant impact on her career which was something usual for the Greek film stars of the period.

After a seven-year absence she made a comeback with a number of straight-to-video movies, usually light comedies. After that she faded away and she made only some special appearances. One of her roles worthy of her beauty and acting abilities was that of "Julia" in the hugely successful soap opera, Aggigma psyhis, in 1998. Her last appearance was the role of "Maya Hoover" in the popular TV series aired on Mega Channel, Gorgones, in 2007, and her return was warmly received by the audience .

Personal life

Elena Nathanael had a relationship with Giorgos Tsagkaris, with whom gave birth to her daughter named Inka, in 1973. After her retirement, she had been living for several years at her farm in Euboea, with her life partner Tasos Mitropoulos, a veteran footballer of Olympiacos, where she had taken up wine production. She died from lung cancer on March 4, 2008 and the Greek press referred to her as the "Enchantress of the Greek cinema" (Γόησσα του ελληνικού κινηματογράφου). Her funeral took place on March 5, in the cemetery of Nea Filadelfeia, where a lot of people took leave of her.

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1964	Kati na kaiei	Jenny
1965	Wälsungenblut	Sieglinde Arnstatt
1966	Erotas stin kafti ammo	Katerina
	O fovos	Anna
	Dama spathi	Elena
1967	O 13os	Maria
1968	Epiheirisis Apollon	Elena
	Kataskopoi ston Saroniko
	Randevou me mia agnosti	Christina
1969	To leventopaido	Katerina
	Xypna Vasili	Dina Vasilaki
1970	Proklisis	Eirini
1971	Ethelontis ston erota	Mirka
	Ekeino to kalokairi
	Il sorriso del ragno
1972	Anazitisis	Elena Hrysou
	Antartes ton poleon	Anna Papadima
1973	O aisiodoxos	Mary Saranti
	Zitima zois kai thanatou	Olga
1980	O podogyros	Journalist
1981	Enas kontos tha mas sosei!	Flora
	Eisai stin EOK, pathe gia tin EOK	Journalist
	Tis politsmanas to... kangelo	Elena
1982	Apithanoi, alloiotikoi ki oraioi...	Annita
	Pagida stin Ellada
1986	Oi Pontioi
1987	Apousies
1998	Black Out p.s. Red Out	Hristos' Mother
2002	Sti skia tou Lemmy Caution	Antigoni

References

1. Η γόησσα που έφυγε σαν Λεβεντόπαιδο (in Greek). Ethnos. 2004-02-05. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
2. ΚΑΛΛΙΤΕΧΝΕΣ (in Greek). Dimitris Lyberopoulos-Journalist. Retrieved 2008-03-05.

External links

• Elena Nathanael at the Internet Movie Database