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Alexis Minotis(1898-1990)

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Alexis Minotis
A woman finds a treasure and is torn between two men: one who wants to sell it and one who wants to gift it to Greece.
Play trailer2:24
Ombres sous la mer (1957)
2 Videos
4 Photos
Alexis Minotis was a Greek actor and theatrical director from Chania, Crete. He was notable for producing and directing modern theatrical versions of ancient Greek tragedies such as "Hecuba", "Antigone", "The Phoenissae", "Prometheus Bound", and "Oedipus at Colonus".

Minotis was a published poet during his teen years, with some of his poems published through the literary magazine "Dionysus". As a young adult, he worked as a bank employee. He found his regular job to be rather boring, and he started appearing as an amateur actor in theatrical shows by 1921. He soon decided to become a full-time actor, and he found work in acting troupes which needed additional members while traveling throughout the country. His father reportedly disowned him, and Minotis was considered the "black sheep" of his family for years.

In 1925, Minotis was hired as a new member for the theatrical company of Marika Kotopouli, a leading actress of the era. He remained with this company until 1930, and he gained considerable fame as a tragic actor. He left in order to join an avant-garde acting company. He made his film debut in 1930, portraying a character in a pastoral romance.

In 1940, Minotis married his fellow actress Katina Paxinou. They went on to appear as an acting duo in many productions at the National Theatre of Greece in Athens. Minotis fled from Greece during its occupation by three Axis powers during World War II (Germany, Italy, and Bulgaria), and he spend several years living abroad.

In 1946, Minotis was cast as a butler in the American spy film "Notorious" by Alfred Hitchcock. It was Minotis' first appearance in an English-speaking film. His subsequent film appearances included the domestic abuse-themed film noir "The Chase", the fantasy film "Siren of Atlantis" (1949), the historical drama "Land of the Pharaohs" (1955) about the reign of the Pharaoh Khufu/Cheops, and the adventure film "Boy on a Dolphin" (1957), which was the first Hollywood production filmed in Greece.

By 1955, he started his famous adaptations of the works of Sophocles and Euripides. The plays were originally performed at the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus, but Minotis soon went on a long international tour with his acting company. He both performed and directed most of these plays for American audiences in New York City. In 1958, he directed the French opera "Medea" by Luigi Cherubini for the Dallas Civil Opera. It was considered a highlight for his career as a director.

In 1973, Minotis portrayed Abraham in a play depicting the Sacrifice of Isaac from the Book of Genesis. During the 1970s and the 1980s, Minotis appeared infrequently as an actor in regular Greek theatrical seasons. He continued to hold directorial and administrative posts in theaters throughout this era. In 1989, he returned to the role of Abraham for his final season of performances. He died the following year at the age of 90.
BornAugust 8, 1898
DiedNovember 11, 1990(92)
BornAugust 8, 1898
DiedNovember 11, 1990(92)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

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Known for

Michèle Morgan and Robert Cummings in L'évadée (1946)
L'évadée
6.4
  • Lt. Acosta
  • 1946
Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, and Claude Rains in Les enchaînés (1946)
Les enchaînés
7.9
  • Joseph(as Alex Minotis)
  • 1946
La Terre des pharaons (1955)
La Terre des pharaons
6.6
  • Hamar, the High Priest
  • 1955
To theatro tis Tetartis
TV Series
  • Actor
  • 1984

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor



  • To theatro tis Defteras (1970)
    To theatro tis Defteras
    8.1
    TV Series
    • Captain Adolph
    • Filoktitis (Philoctetes)
    • Oidipous (Oedipus)
    • 1976–1988
  • To theatro tis Tetartis
    TV Series
    • 1984–1985
  • Ombres sous la mer (1957)
    Ombres sous la mer
    6.2
    • Milidias Nadapoulos (as Alex Minotis)
    • 1957
  • La Terre des pharaons (1955)
    La Terre des pharaons
    6.6
    • Hamar, the High Priest
    • 1955
  • Panique dans la rue (1950)
    Panique dans la rue
    7.2
    • John Mefaris (uncredited)
    • 1950
  • Maria Montez in L'Atlantide (1948)
    L'Atlantide
    5.6
    • Cortot (as Alex Minotis)
    • 1948
  • Michèle Morgan and Robert Cummings in L'évadée (1946)
    L'évadée
    6.4
    • Lt. Acosta
    • 1946
  • Ingrid Bergman, Cary Grant, and Claude Rains in Les enchaînés (1946)
    Les enchaînés
    7.9
    • Joseph (as Alex Minotis)
    • 1946
  • Gia tin agapi tis (1930)
    Gia tin agapi tis
    4.8
    • Nikolas (as Alex Minotis)
    • 1930

Director



  • To theatro tis Defteras (1970)
    To theatro tis Defteras
    8.1
    TV Series
    • theatrical director
    • 1976–1988
  • To theatro tis Tetartis
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 1984–1985
  • Medea (1965)
    Medea
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 1965

Producer



  • To theatro tis Tetartis
    TV Series
    • producer
    • 1984–1985

Videos2

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Trailer 2:24
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Personal details

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  • Alternative names
    • Alex Minotis
  • Born
    • August 8, 1898
    • Canea, Greece
  • Died
    • November 11, 1990
    • Athens, Greece(undisclosed)
  • Spouse
    • Katina Paxinou? - February 22, 1973 (her death)

Did you know

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  • Trivia
    He and his wife, the stage and film actress Katina Paxinou, were of the founding members of the National Theatre of Greece (previously named Royal Theatre). Their greatest fame came after their return to Greece from Hollywood in the 50s when they rejoined the National Theatre of Greece and participated in such acclaimed productions as "Hecuba", "Oedipus Rex" and "Medea" both in Greece and abroad.

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