The actor Costas Kleftogiannis died

He lost the battle for life, after complications caused by the coronavirus, the actor Costas Kleftogiannis, at the age of 75. He had starred in performances of the National Theater, in films by Pantelis Voulgaris and had worked closely with Giannis Tsarouchis and many Greek directors on stage.

The actor Costas Kleftogiannis was born in Kalamata. He studied at the Drama School of Pelos Katselis (born 1969) and then attended theater seminars in New York (Jim FrankelWorkshop, 1969-1971). He collaborated in Montreal, Canada with the “Greek Folk Theater” and first appeared on stage in 1970, with the play by N. Pergialis “The Bridal Song”.

Returning to Greece in 1971, he played Aimonas in Sophocles ‘”Antigone” (Bournellis Theater), and collaborated with Thanasis Papageorgiou’s Stoa Theater, where he played Callimachos in Machiavelli’s “Mandragoras” and in Pagidos’ Enclosed by Pagidus. . He played with the George Konstantinos Troupe, among others, in “Manolakis the Bomber” by A. Sakellariou. He continued with the troupe of Elsa Vergi (1973-1979) presenting on tour “Dance” by Zakopoulos, the composition “Forms of ancient drama”, “Medea” (Creon), “Theofano” by Terzakis, “Iphigenia in Taurus “(Pyladis) and” Andromachi “(Orestes).

With the troupe of Aliki Georgouli at the “Apothiki” theater he played in “Kazo Kliniko” by Buzzati (Maskerini) and in “Comedy of the Bank” by Durenmat. With “Scene”, directed by Lefteris Vogiatzis, he played Platon Mikhailovich Boric in Gribogedov’s “Misfortune from the Very Mind”.

He collaborated with the troupe of Vassilis Mitsakis (“Antigone”, where he played Aimonas and “Alexandros Delmouzos”). He collaborated with the National Theater for many years in a wide range of repertoire, from Shakespeare (Antonios in “The Twelfth Night”) and Aristophanes (Priest in “Wealth”), to Moliere (Dubois in “Misanthrope”) Brecht (A) Ui ») and ancient tragedy. He played Xerxes in Aeschylus ‘”Persians” in Epidaurus, and Lieutenant Tasic in Dusan Kovacevic’ s “Saint George Kills the Dragon”. For his latest performance, he was honored at the Novi Sad Festival in Serbia by World War II veterans. Finally, he played Hephaestus, among others, in Aeschylus’ “Prometheus Bound”, directed – and with Prometheus – by Nikitas Tsakiroglou. The show had also traveled to Macronissos (1998).

In the cinema he was associated almost exclusively with Pantelis Voulgaris. He played in “Petrina Chronia”, starred in “Fanela me 9” (Galantis), and in “Psychi Vathia” (Brigadier General of the National Army, Tsaglis / Tsakalotos), while he also participated in “Little England”.

Costas Kleftogiannis also starred in “Round of Death” by Errikos Thalassinos, in “Hidden in Elassona” by Giannis Prokovas and in the American film by Joe Camp “For the love of Benzi”.

In 1986, at the urging of Giannis Tsarouchis, who became his constant collaborator until his death, and with whom they planned to upload “Eleni” (the great painter passed away and they did not manage to implement the plan), Costas Kleftogiannis together with also actor wife of Atalantis Klapakis created the Atmonium Theater in Maroussi, with which, having, among others, the director Diagoras Chronopoulos and the composer Christos Leontis, they presented in a scenography of the great painter the “Fate of Maroulakas” by Goros »Of Byzantium and the” General Secretary “of Kapetanakis. With Atalanti Klapaki, the painter directed and staged “Stella Violanti” (1986-1989) for the Atmonium Theater.

After a long participation in the Commons and the Culture of Marousi, as vice-president of the Cultural Center of the Municipality of Maroussi and then its artistic director, he organized summer festivals at the Anavryton Theater, and turned the Municipality into an open-air sculpture, with our top works of art. tribute to the Marousi Olympian Spyros Louis. At the same time, he curated in the Municipal Gallery of the Municipality, an exhibition entitled “11 Greek painters create for Maroussi 2004 and the Olympic Idea”, in which the artists Panagiotis Gravvalos, Vlasis Kaniaris, Christos Karas, Nikos Kessapis, Giannis Mnis collaborated , Dimitris Mytaras, Pavlos (Dionysopoulos), Costas Tsoklis, Alekos Fasianos and Giannis Psychopedis.

He wrote the book “Tsarouchis”, with works, testimonies and documents from his close collaboration with the great painter, while preparing, without having time to complete, a monograph on the pioneer aviator, folklorist and Greek explorer, Thanos Mourais Velloudios.

In 2000 he was the producer and presenter of the radio show “Agathon to Confess”, at ERA, where he compiled texts by Giannis Tsarouchis.

He had also appeared on television at the Monday Theater. He had a passion for photography, especially black and white, and was a marathon runner with distinctions.

His only daughter Ioanna Kleftogiannis is a journalist.

Statement by Pantelis Voulgaris

Informed of the death of Kostas Kleftogiannis, Pantelis Voulgaris stated about his favorite actor:

“And Costas! No. Good actor, good collaborator, good photographer, good friend. We collaborated on four films, but we also made a lot of friends between the cinematic adventures. Saturday night, at the hospitable house of the Kleftogianni, then, in Maroussi. The company is great, all ages. The warmth is guaranteed. Nice man, gentle, modest. I admired his quality on stage with Thanasis Vengos. We were in the mountains of Kastoria, in Mankovic, in the cold and the agony of shooting. In the eyes of Kleftogiannis, worship and respect for Thanasis. When the eyes of the artists meet in truth, a real spark lights up. We were seen by those who were there, crew, accomplices and people who had come up from the city to watch the shooting “.

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