Leading actress Maro Kontou has passed away, at 92

According to information, she was hospitalized in Agios Savvas in recent days.

Maro Kontou had recently gone through a major health crisis and was hospitalized for a long time in the cardiology and pulmonary clinics of Attikon Hospital.

Maro Kontou's last television appearance
Just a few days ago, after her release from Attikon Hospital, she made her last television appearance, visibly exhausted, but always with her unique brio, aura and style, on the show for the completion of the last television project in which she participated, "Land of the Olive Tree".

She was born on June 21, 1934 in Athens. She studied at the Koula Pratsika dance school (now the State School of Dance) and from 1953 to 1958 she participated in the dance of the Ancient Drama of the National Theater, where she distinguished herself.

"An Italian from Kypseli" (1968)
As an exceptional talent, she obtained an acting license and quickly established herself as a leading actress, with her first appearance, after matriculating from the National Theatre, in the play by Tsiforou - Vassiliadis "The Gentleman's Wife", which was staged in 1958 by the troupe of Dinos Iliopoulos and Mary Aroni.

The ballet, the National Theatre, Epidaurus
At the same time, she loved dance from a young age and studied it at the Koula Pratsika school (later the State School of Dance).

She won a scholarship for the HLADEK school in Germany, which she was unable to take advantage of due to financial problems her family was facing. This difficulty will turn into luck for Maro Kontou, as in the grand zeitgeist of her life it will bring her to the National Theater as a member of the dance in ancient tragedies, when they were still desperately looking for girls with a figure and ancient Greek beauty. For much the same reason, she will have the luck to be discovered in a performance in Epidaurus by Dinos Iliopoulos, who was looking for new talents.

She was the ideal partner of Lambros Constantaras
A leading actress in the golden age of Greek cinema. She was the ideal partner of Lambros Constantaras.

She acted in films such as "The Train Man" (1958), "The Yellow Gloves" (1960), "Crime in Kolonaki" (1960), "Scum" (1963), "My Friend Lefterakis" (1963), "An Italian Woman from the Kipseli" (1968) and "Seven Years of Marriage" (1972).

"...A Woman Should Be Afraid of a Man"
For many, the highlight of her career was that of Elenitsa in the comedy by George Tzavellas "...A Woman Should Be Afraid of a Man" (1965), in which she and George Konstantinou play the Kokovikos couple, one of the most famous couples in Greek cinema.

“Woe to the young”
One of her unforgettable performances with a song that left an era, alongside Dimitris Horn, “Pes mou mia kailos” from the film “Alimono stous neous” (woe to the young)(1961).

Also unforgettable is her performance of “Mavri Ford” from “Odos oneiron” by Manos Hadjidakis.

Political career

Maro Kontou was also involved in politics, as an executive of the New Democracy party, serving as a municipal councilor of Athens, as well as a member of the First Athens District.

Maro Kontou was elected as a member of parliament with the New Democracy party in 1999 and as the first runner-up in 2007, when Nikitas Kaklamanis resigned to run for mayor of Athens.

She was also a municipal councilor in the Municipality of Athens from 1994 to 2002 during the mayoralty of Dimitris Avramopoulos, assuming for seven years the presidency of the Municipal Radio Station Athens 9.84 and for two years the president of the "Mother" infant center.