On Tuesday the funeral of Nikos Xanthopoulos – Condolence messages from the political world

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The actor’s funeral will be held next Tuesday, January 24 at 1:00 p.m. at the First Cemetery of Athens

The news of the death of actor Nikos Xanthopoulos, who passed away at the age of 89, after serious health problems, has caused sadness.

The actor’s funeral will be heldNext Tuesday, January 24 at 1:00 p.m. at the First Cemetery of Athens.

Condolence messages from the political world

He sent a condolence message for the loss of Nikos Xanthopoulos the leadership of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. Specifically, as soon as she was informed of the loss of Nikos Xanthopoulos, the Minister of Culture and Sports Lina Mendoni made the following statement:

“The long-term presence of Nikos Xanthopoulos in cinema, theater, music and television presents two aspects: That of the popular idol, the “child of the people”, with his popular melodramatic films, which captured the concerns of the 60s . Great composers, Mikis Theodorakis, Kostas Kaldaras, Stavros Xarchakos, Christos Nikolopoulos entrusted him with their songs, which were hugely successful, not only in Greece but also in the countries where Greek immigrants lived. In the theater, where he starred, he was supported by his solid theatrical roots – a troupe leader himself – and his great collaborations with Kyria Katerina, Dimitris Rodiris, Manos Katrakis.

Nikos Xanthopoulos was a deeply cultivated artist, a sensitive citizen towards the social messages of the times, a noble man, who expressed popular sentiment, the pain of refugees and internal migration in an authentic way. A large part of the audience identified with the honesty and directness with which he conveyed these feelings. He embraced him, loved him and honored him as his own person. He was a familiar face, at a time when Greece was changing at a rapid, dramatic pace. Saying goodbye to Nikos Xanthopoulos, I express my sincere condolences to his family and his many friends.”

The Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports Nikolas Giatromanolakimade the following statement:

“We say goodbye to Nikos Xanthopoulos, the actor with whom all the refugees in Greece in the 60s identified. “The child of the people” as he was called, through the countless dramatic films in which he starred, paying tribute to the working class, while suffocating the cinemas of the time. Theater leader, actor and singer, Xanthopoulos always moved the audience, both with his acting talent and with his songs. His presence in the discography is remarkable, as he collaborated with great composers and lyricists such as Mikis Theodorakis, Apostolos Kaldaras, Eftychia Papagiannopoulou, Christos Nikolopoulos and Stavros Xarchakos while he made many tours abroad which made him even more beloved by the Greek diaspora .

Heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones”

Nikos Xanthopoulos was a rare case of social idol through his roles in Greek cinema. emphasizes SYRIZA PS for the loss of Nikos Xanthopoulos, expressing condolences to his family.

It mentions in particular that Nikos Xanthopoulos “created a cinematic persona that expressed millions of Greeks, not only in Greece, but also in the whole world”. “The difficulties, the miseries and the daily struggle of all these people, in a period when labor rights were non-existent, were expressed in a popular and authentic way by the films starring Nikos Xanthopoulos, which scored an unprecedented number of tickets in the history of Greek cinema. The sufferings of the Greek immigrants and refugees became flesh and bones through his incomparable voice in the song”, he notes.

SYRIZA also emphasizes that “his genuine and discreet public presence in recent years has confirmed the reasons that in addition to being a popular protagonist, he was also a man who enjoyed the love of the world until his death”.

“It is with sadness and respect that we say goodbye to Nikos Xanthopoulos, who sealed an entire era of Greek cinema with his characteristic way of interpretation” he says in a statement the KKE.

“A child of a refugee family, born in N. Ionia, growing up with the harsh experiences of poverty, Nikos Xanthopoulos, also a child of a resistance fighter during the Nazi occupation, impressed in his performances, despite the bluntness that gave him the affectionate and completely recognizable nickname” child of the people’, the honesty, the selflessness, the denials and the hopes and above all the toil and the effort for a better life, for which the people in the popular neighborhoods fought.

This toil was also the content of his own life, as Nikos Xanthopoulos, who was also an AEK athlete, then, under his mentor Manos Katrakis, studied at the National Theatre, devoted himself mainly to cinema, was a popular performer with a rich repertoire and important collaborations, with E. Papagiannopoulou, A. Kaldara, H. Nikolopoulos, A. Panou, S. Xarhakos and others, while throughout his life he loved reading” the party points out in its announcement.

The KKE expresses its deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.

The path of the actor

Nikos Xanthopoulos was born on March 4, 1934 in Nea Ionia, in the refugee neighborhood of Athens. A child of Pontian refugees, he grew up poor with his mother, who essentially raised him alone, as his father was absent for long periods of time.

His father worked occasionally as a shoemaker and fisherman, while during the Occupation he was imprisoned for his resistance action. During his teenage years he was an athlete of AEK.

Growing up, he decided to work in the theater, although he was initially fascinated by the idea of ​​becoming a philologist. His mentor was Manos Katrakis.

He studied at the National Theater School. He made his first professional appearance in the theater in 1957 with “Tiaso Katerina” in the comedy “Virginia”.

Until the mid-60s, he had played various roles, including Orestes in Sophocles’ “Electra”, directed by Dimitris Rodiris, while he also collaborated with Manos Katrakis’ troupe in Mikis Theodorakis’ “Dead Brother’s Song”.

He also briefly performed in musical theater. He participated in 24 theater productions and played all kinds of theater. In 1970 he founded his own troupe and toured Greece.

From the mid-60s, cinema won him over.

His first film appearance was in 1958 in the comedy of Philippa Phylaktos “The Collector”, alongside Vassilis Avlonitis and Nikos Rizos. He was established as a film star by director-producer Apostolos Tegopoulos (Clack Film), with whom he had exclusive collaboration from 1964 to 1971, in musical drama films.

In the films of the newly established Clack Film he participated for the first time in 1963 with “Broken Hearts” in the role of the evil brother-in-law. The beginning of his standardization as a child of the people took place a year later in the film “I loved and hurt”.

In these films Nikos Xanthopoulos used to sing, while composers such as Apostolos Kaldaras wrote songs for him. His discography includes 9 major albums and 55 singles.

He appeared as a singer in large nightclubs and toured abroad in the centers of the Greek diaspora. He made his last film appearance in 1995 in the film by Giorgos Zervoulakos “With Orpheus in August”.

At the end of 2005 he published his autobiography “What I remember and what I loved” in a book. He was married twice and had four children and five grandchildren.

Television – Videotapes
He first appeared on television in 1973 in the Agrimia series.

Eight years after Agrimia, in 1981, he plays in the series of Errikos Thalassinos “The Diary of a Janitor”. He plays the captain who wants to go sailing and can’t find somewhere to leave his son. The role prompted him to start smoking again.

In 1994 he played in the TV drama series “On the Razor’s Edge”.

In 1989 he collaborates with Apostolos Tegopoulos and Panos Kontelis in “Minor of a Heart” which was released on 3 tapes and then played on ERT in 16 episodes. Then came “Love that knows no borders” which was filmed in Athens, Istanbul and Paris. It was released on two cassettes. It later aired in 8 episodes on MEGA.

Two more video productions followed, “The Father’s Heart” and “Love on the Sidelines” which was also played on TV on the ANT1 channel in 1992.

Song
For the needs of the films, he became a singer under the guidance of Apostolos Kaldara and Eftychia Papagiannopoulou.

After 1971 he stopped appearing in films and switched to a new career in folk singing. In total he has released 9 albums and 55 singles. His discography includes around 300 songs. His songs are signed by, among others, Akis Panou, Christos Nikolopoulos, Xarchakos and others.

In his long absence from cinema and television, he had the opportunity to visit and tour in the USA, Australia and almost all of Europe, always knowing the acceptance and apotheosis of the Greek diaspora.

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