Giannis Mortzos, the actor, passed away at the age of 84. His loss was announced through a post on social media by the “Actor’s Home”.
“This morning at 11:30, unfortunately, we lost our beloved actor Giannis Mortzos. This news has saddened us all greatly. Have a good journey, Giannis,” the Instagram post stated. According to ERT, the well-known actor was facing serious health problems and had recently needed hospitalization.
Giannis Mortzos was born in Samos on October 11, 1940, and studied at the Dramatic School of the Art Theatre under his mentor Karolos Koun. He remained close to him as a core member of the theatre until 1981, portraying under their guidance great theatrical roles from the entire spectrum of dramatic writing: ancient drama, classical theatre, contemporary theatre, absurdist theatre, but mainly modern Greek theatre, which he had a particular fondness for and preferred in his repertoire choices.
With the Art Theatre, he participated as a leading actor in major theatre festivals across Europe during the 60s, 70s, and 80s and met famous artists from whom he gained significant knowledge. He collaborated with most Greek actors, directors, musicians, set designers, and translators. In recent years, he had created the Theatre “Four Seasons,” with which he presented important performances throughout Greece.
He was a founding member of PASOK (1974) and had served as a trade unionist in the performing arts sector (President of P.O.TH.A), as well as a city councilor for Athens for eight years (1986-1994). He taught theatre in drama schools for thirty-five years and was a member of the Society of Greek Theatre Directors. On television, he participated in the series “What Soul Will You Deliver, Girl?”, “The Color of the Moon,” “Say Hi to My Platanos,” among others.
Upon learning about the loss of Giannis Mortzos, the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni made the following statement:
“Giannis Mortzos served the theatre with unwavering dedication and unique integrity. He was a student of Karolos Koun and a core member of the Art Theatre for twenty years. In his long career, he successfully interpreted a wide range of roles, from classical to contemporary repertoire. He was fortunate to create his own theatrical group, the ‘Four Seasons,’ and left a distinct mark in all the roles he interpreted, justly gaining the recognition of the theatrical world and the wider public, who loved him even through his selective appearances on television. Giannis Mortzos was an active citizen, with many years of involvement in politics and trade unionism, serving with consistency his political beliefs and the party to which he belonged. I extend my sincere condolences to his family, his friends, and his fellow artists.”
Source: APE-MPE