Native name Ζωή Λάσκαρη Years active 1961–present Grandchildren Zenia Bonatsou Occupation Actress Role Film actress | Other names Zoitsa Laskari Name Zoe Laskari Full Name Zoi Kouroukli Website zoelaskari.gr | |
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Spouse Alexandros Lykourezos (m. 1976), Petros Koutoumanos (m. 1967–1971) Children Martha Koutoumanou, Maria-Eleni Lykourezou Awards Hellenic Film Academy Honorary Award Movies The Decline, Stefania, The Blue Beads from Greece, Ston asterismo tis Parthe, Iligos Similar People Aliki Vougiouklaki, Giannis Dalianidis, Tzeni Karezi, Martha Karagianni, Nora Valsami | ||
Greek actress zoe laskari died at 73
Zoe Laskari (Greek: Ζωή Λάσκαρη, [zoˈɛː ˈlaskari]; 12 December 1944 – 18 August 2017) was a Greek film and stage actress.
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Life
Zoe Laskari was born Zoe Kouroukli in Thessaloniki, from a middle class family which had a long tradition of service to the Hellenic Army. At an early age she lost both her parents and was raised by her paternal grandparents. In 1959, she won the title of Star Hellas (Miss Greece) and went on to represent Greece at the Miss Universe pageant in Long Beach, California where she made it to the semifinals. However, while her being in the United States, it was revealed that she was still legally a minor, having obscured her true age. She refused to return to Greece and stayed in New York City for a period of time.
In 1967, she married industrialist Petros Koutoumanos, by whom she had her first daughter, Martha Koutoumanou. Their marriage ended in 1971. In June 1976, she married criminologist Alexandros Lykourezos, by whom she had a second daughter, Maria-Eleni Lykourezou.
Career
Due to her success at the beauty pageant, director Giannis Dalianidis, offered her the starring role in O katiforos, a 1961 film, whose success gave her a rapid popularity and she shortly signed an exclusive contract with the biggest Greek film production company at the time, Finos Film. The films in which she appeared ranged from dramas to comedies and musicals. Some of her later movies were Stefania (1966) and Oi Thalassies oi Hadres (1967). Other Laskari film hits were Nomos 4000, Merikoi to protimoun kryo, Koritsia gia filima, Dakrya gia tin Ilektra, Mia kyria sta bouzoukia and Marihouana stop.
Her stage work included famous plays like Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the ancient Greek tragedy The Trojan Women by Euripides and Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park. Her theatrical hits include the play Oi erastes tou Oneirou which was also her first play in Athens. Laskari's first television appearance was her leading role in the TV series Romaios kai Ioulieta in 1976.
Death
Laskari died on 18 August 2017, aged 72. She was survived by her two daughters, Martha Koutoumanou and Maria-Eleni Lykourezou, and her husband Alexandros Lykourezos.
