Nikos Xanthopoulos(1934-2023)

Nikos Xanthopoulos was a Greek actor and singer who became a prominent figure in 1960s cinema, best known for portraying working-class characters facing hardship and ultimately finding redemption. His collaborations with director-producer Apostolos Tegopoulos and the Klak Film company led to a series of successful musical dramas that solidified his image as a "child of the people." Trained at the National Theatre Drama School, he began his professional acting career in theater in the late 1950s and transitioned fully into film by the early 1960s. His screen debut came in To eispraktoraki (1958), but his breakout role was in Agapisa kai ponesa (1963), the first in a long run of commercially successful melodramas. Over the years, he starred in dozens of films and participated in 24 theatrical productions across genres. Though initially known for his acting, he also developed a parallel career as a laïko singer. Guided by Apostolos Kaldaras and lyricist Eftyhia Papagiannopoulou, he recorded a vast repertoire that included works by composers such as Akis Panou, Hristos Nikolopoulos, and Stavros Xarhakos. His discography includes nine albums and over fifty singles. On television, he appeared in series such as T'agrimia (1973), To imerologio enos thyrorou (1979), and the anthology To minore mias kardias (1989), while also venturing into the home video market. During the 1980s and 1990s, he continued to tour internationally, earning a devoted following among the Greek diaspora in the United States, Australia, and Europe. Late in life, he published a memoir, reflecting on a career that spanned multiple artistic fields and left a lasting impact on Greek popular culture.