Greek actor Christos Valavanidis dies aged 82

The news in Greek

1. ποιητής  (m.)
   άνθρωπος που γράφει ποιήματα ↩︎
2. κινηματογράφος  (m.)
   χώρος ή τέχνη όπου προβάλλονται ταινίες ↩︎
3. παράσταση  (f.)
   θεατρικό ή καλλιτεχνικό έργο που παρουσιάζεται μπροστά σε κοινό ↩︎
4. υπουργείο  (n.)
   κρατικός οργανισμός με συγκεκριμένη αρμοδιότητα, π.χ. για την παιδεία ή τον πολιτισμό ↩︎
5. πολιτισμός  (m.)
   σύνολο από τέχνες, γράμματα, συνήθειες και δημιουργίες ενός λαού ↩︎
6. προσφορά  (f.)
   το να δίνεις κάτι χρήσιμο ή σημαντικό σε άλλους ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What two types of art did Christos Valavanidis do in his life?

Question 2: How did his colleagues and the Ministry of Culture speak about him after his death?

Vocabulary

Greek	English
ποιητής  (m.)	poet
κινηματογράφος  (m.)	cinema
παράσταση  (f.)	performance
υπουργείο  (n.)	ministry
πολιτισμός  (m.)	culture
προσφορά  (f.)	contribution

Read the full story

The Greek theatre and film community is mourning the death of Christos Valavanidis, a leading actor and poet who died in early March at the age of 82. His passing was announced by close friends and fellow actors, who shared the news publicly on social media after being informed by his wife, actress Aspasia Kralli.

According to reports, Valavanidis had faced serious health problems in recent months, including a heart condition. He had previously spoken on Greek television about a long hospital stay over the Christmas and New Year period, describing it as a difficult “adventure” for his health but also praising the dedication of doctors and nurses in the public health system, even while criticising the poor physical conditions in overcrowded hospitals.

The National Theatre of Northern Greece (KTHBE) paid tribute in an official statement, describing him as a “multi‑dimensional artist” whose warmth and direct character earned him both the respect of colleagues and the affection of audiences. The theatre underlined his long career on stage, his work with prominent directors and actors, and his contribution to a wide range of theatrical genres.

Greece’s Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, also issued a statement expressing sorrow at the loss of what she called a “major-calibre actor” who left a clear mark on modern Greek theatre. She highlighted his ability to handle roles from ancient drama to revue and musical theatre, his work as a director and theatre-maker, and his recognised presence in both cinema and television. The minister described him as a restless, highly educated artist whose poetry collections showed the breadth of his cultural background.

Born in Greece, Valavanidis graduated in 1973 from the Drama School of the National Theatre in Athens. He went on to collaborate with many private theatre companies, as well as Greece’s two main state stages in Athens and Thessaloniki, including the National Theatre and KTHBE. Over more than five decades he acted in ancient Greek tragedy and comedy, operetta, modern drama, musical theatre, pantomime and revue, making him a familiar figure in almost every form of Greek stage performance.

His theatre work included roles in productions such as “The Taming of the Shrew”, “Alcestis – Cyclops”, “Antony and Cleopatra”, and “The Madwoman of Chaillot”, as well as well-known Greek plays like “The Courtyard of Miracles” by Iakovos Kambanellis. With KTHBE he appeared four times as an actor and once as a director, staging, among other works, a version of “Puss in Boots” for children, for which he also wrote the song lyrics.

In 1996, together with his wife Aspasia Kralli, he founded the “Apo Michanis Theatre” (“Deus ex Machina Theatre”) in Athens, transforming a former factory into a modern performance space. This project is frequently mentioned in tributes as evidence of his role not only as a performer but as a theatre creator and organiser, helping to shape the contemporary theatre scene.

Valavanidis achieved a strong profile in Greek cinema. He became widely known for his performance in Nikos Nikolaidis’ film “Ta Kourelia Tragoudane Akoma” (“The Wretches Are Still Singing”), for which he received the Best Actor Award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival. He also appeared in films that have become reference points in Greek popular culture, such as “Lufa kai Paralagi” (“Loafing and Camouflage”) by Nikos Perakis, as well as “The Photograph”, “Pemptohi AE” and the comedy hit “To Klama Vgike ap’ ton Paradeiso” (“Crying… Silicon Tears”).

Beyond Greek productions, he took part in several international film and television projects, including “The First Olympics”, an English‑language series about the history of the Olympic Games, “My Family and Other Animals” based on Gerald Durrell’s book set on the Greek island of Corfu, and other foreign films shot in Greece. These roles helped introduce his work to non‑Greek audiences, even if his name remained best known within Greece.

On Greek television, Valavanidis became a familiar face to viewers from the 1970s onwards. He played central roles in series such as “I Geitonia Mas”, “To Minore tis Avgis”, “I Trapeza”, “Lista Gamou”, and especially “Oi Afthairetoi” (“The Illegal Buildings”), a popular early series on the private channel Mega. He also contributed to other widely watched shows like “Siga, i Patrida Koimatai”, “Oi Andres den Yparchoun Pia” and further comedy and drama productions, often in leading or key supporting roles.

Alongside acting, Valavanidis developed a distinct career as a poet and writer. He published three poetry collections, with the last volume including previously unpublished poems written over roughly a decade, as well as a retrospective selection from earlier books and magazine publications. His poems have been included in various Greek and international anthologies. He also collaborated with literary magazines and co‑wrote scripts for two television series, “Plakas Melathron” and “Oi Athooi tis Pteryga 5”, expanding his contribution to the written side of the performing arts.

Reactions to his death from colleagues underline both his professional reputation and his personal relationships. Actors Eleni Gerasimidou and Antonis Xenos, long‑time friends, were among the first to announce his passing, speaking about his many talents and sending condolences to his wife Aspasia and their daughter. Other actors, including Antonis Kafetzopoulos, Kaiti Finou and Spyros Bibilas, posted tributes that remembered his sense of humour, his kindness and his commitment to his colleagues, the environment and animals.

Across the different statements from state institutions, theatres and individual artists, there is broad agreement on several points: his versatility on stage and screen, his long‑term impact on Greek cultural life, and his role as a bridge between different generations of performers. While individual tributes naturally use emotional language, news reports present a picture of a figure who combined artistic range with steady work over more than fifty years in theatre, cinema, television and poetry.

For international readers and language learners, Valavanidis can be seen as a representative of the post‑war Greek acting generation: trained in the country’s main national institutions, active in both classical and popular entertainment, and involved in building new independent venues. His death closes a long chapter in modern Greek performing arts, but his work remains accessible through recordings of his films, television series and the continuing activity of the theatres he helped to shape.

Info: ‘Greek Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Greek’, a language school dedicated to teaching Greek through various types of online courses designed to help you learn Greek. It provides updates, resources, and practical insights for learners at different levels who wish to improve their skills in the language.