Iconic actress Irene Papas has passed away this Wednesday, at the age of 96. Famous actress played important roles in theater and cinema, fully embodying the power of ancient tragedy.  Irene Papas, whose real name was Irini Lelekou, was born on September 3, 1926 in Corinth where she spent her childhood, while her parents were teachers and she had three sisters. 

She spent her teenage years in Athens taking acting courses at the National School of Classical Theatre. At the age of 15, Pappas started her artistic career, after working as a radio producer, singer and dancer. 

At the age of 18, she married the writer Alki Papa, and although their marriage did not last long, the actress kept the surname by which she became known around the world. 

In her first steps on the stage, she took part in the productions of the National Theatre.  Her unique talent and excellent performances in ancient tragedies such as "Medea" and "Elektra" quickly made her famous. The love and respect of the actress for the ancient drama was great. 

When she decided to stop performing such roles, she declared in an interview for the newspaper "Avenire" in Rome: I decided that I will not act anymore, because tragedy has a great responsibility. And the fear that I couldn't handle it would make me feel really bad.