Zoe Laskari

Zoe Laskari
Native name Ζωή Λάσκαρη
Born Zoi Kouroukli
(1944-12-12) 12 December 1944
Thessaloniki, Greece
Other names Zoitsa Laskari
Occupation Actress
Years active 1961–present
Spouse(s) Petros Koutoumanos (1967–71)
Alexandros Lykourezos (1976–present)
Children Martha Koutoumanou
Maria-Eleni Lykourezou
Website zoelaskari.gr

Zoe Laskari (Greek: Ζωή Λάσκαρη, pronounced [zoˈɛː ˈlaskari]; born 12 December 1944) is a Greek film and stage actress, one of the most popular in Greece.[1]

Life

Zoe Laskari was born Zoi Kouroukli in Thessaloniki, from a middle class family which had a long tradition of service to the Hellenic Army. At an early age she lost both her parents and was raised by her paternal grandparents. In 1959, she won the title of Star Hellas (Miss Greece) and went on to represent Greece at the Miss Universe pageant in Long Beach, California where she made it to the semifinals. However, while her being in the United States, it was revealed that she was not an adult yet, as she had hidden her real age, and was asked to return to Greece. She refused to and managed to live alone in New York City for a while.[2]

In 1967 she married industrialist Petros Koutoumanos, with whom she gave birth to her first daughter, Martha Koutoumanou. Their marriage ended in 1971. In June 1976, she married criminologist Alexandros Lykourezos, having her second daughter, Maria-Eleni Lykourezou.[1][2]

Career

Because of her success at the beauty pageant, director Giannis Dalianidis, offered her the starring role in O katiforos, a 1961 film.[1] The success of the movie gave her a rapid popularity and she shortly signed an exclusive contract with the biggest Greek film production company at the time, Finos Film.[1]

Laskari, along with Tzeni Karezi and Aliki Vougiouklaki, were considered the three greatest divas and most commercially successful female stars of Greek cinema.[1] The films she starred in ranged from drama to comedy and musical. Some of her later movies were Stefania (1966) and Oi Thalassies oi Hadres (1967) . Other Laskari film hits were Nomos 4000, Merikoi to protimoun kryo, Koritsia gia filima, Dakrya gia tin Ilektra, Mia kyria sta bouzoukia and Marihouana stop.[3]

Her stage work included famous plays like Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the ancient Greek tragedy The Trojan Women by Euripides and Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park. Her theatrical hits include the play Oi erastes tou Oneirou which was also her first play in Athens. Laskari's first television appearance was her leading role in the TV series Romaios kai Ioulieta in 1976.[3]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1961 O katiforos Rea Nikolaou box office: 161,331
1962 Nomos 4000 Maria Oikonomou box office: 118,841
Horis taftotita Liana Mavroleontos
O atsidas Anna Kourouzou box office: 69,414
1963 Merikoi to protimoun kryo Eva Aggelou box office: 212,247
Iliggos Elli
Ena koritsi gia dyo Myrto box office: 386,817
1964 Egoismos Maria box office: 344,675
1965 Teddy boy agapi mou Zoe Eftyhidou
Koritsia gia filima Tzeni box office: 619,236
Istoria mias zois Marigo / Maria / Mairi
1966 Stefania Stefania Karali
Dakrya gia tin Ilektra Ilektra Petridi box office: 328,277
1967 Oi Thalassies oi Hadres Mary Kaniatoglou box office: 531,278
1968 Olga agapi mou Olga Panagiotidoi-Vassileiadou box office: 367,559
Mia kyria sta bouzoukia Anna Masourou box office: 615,483
Gymnoi sto dromo Xenia Koumarianou
1969 Agapi gia panta Eleni
1970 Aftoi pou milisan me ton thanato
1971 Marijuana Stop! Kaiti Lagopoulou box office: 312,260
1972 Aixmalotoi tou misous Viky Kouvariotou box office: 124,745
1973 Ston asterismo tis Parthenou Koula box office: 120,010
1974 Erastes tou oneirou Zoe box office: 70,456
1982 Anametrisi Anna

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ζωή Λάσκαρη". Finos Film.
  2. 1 2 Zoe Lakari website; accessed 31 May 2014. (Greek)
  3. 1 2 Zoe Laskari at the Internet Movie Database

External links

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