Kostas Hatzichristos or Costas Hajihristos ( el, Κώστας Χατζηχρήστος; 1921 – October 3, 2001) was a
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
actor.
Biography
He was born in
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
,
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...
, to a large family of thirteen members, he was the eleventh child. His parents were from
Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...
(today
Istanbul
)
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code = 34000 to 34990
, area_code = +90 212 (European side) +90 216 (Asian side)
, registration_plate = 34
, blank_name_sec2 = GeoTLD
, blank_i ...
), and they were initially relocated to
Kavala
Kavala ( el, Καβάλα, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia and the capital of Kavala (regional unit), Kavala regional unit.
It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across ...
,
moved to
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its metropolitan area, and the capital of the geographic region of ...
thereafter, and later moved to the northern
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
suburb of
Pagkrati
Pangrati or Pagrati ( el, Παγκράτι) is a neighborhood in Central Athens, Greece, having an estimated population of 35,173 residents. Named after the ancient sanctuary of Hercules Pancrates ("All Powerful"), its frontage runs from Vasil ...
.
The young Kostas studied initially at the Sergeants Major Military School of
Syros
Syros ( el, Σύρος ), also known as Siros or Syra, is a Greek island in the Cyclades, in the Aegean Sea. It is south-east of Athens. The area of the island is and it has 21,507 inhabitants (2011 census).
The largest towns are Ermoupoli, An ...
and finished his studies in the
Kavala
Kavala ( el, Καβάλα, ''Kavála'' ) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia (Greece), Macedonia and the capital of Kavala (regional unit), Kavala regional unit.
It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across ...
.
He worked in the variety theatre ''Missouri'' in
Piraeus
Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saron ...
and with the Nitsa Gaitanaki company where he played in ''The Grouch'' () by
Dimitris Psathas
Dimitris Psathas ( el, Δημήτρης Ψαθάς; 1907 – 13 November 1979) was a modern Greek satirist and playwright. He was born in Trabzon of Pontos, then part of the Ottoman Empire, in 1907.
He went to Athens in 1923 and finished his s ...
. From 1945 until 1948, he worked in an operetta company owned by Paraskevas Oikonomou and appeared in the ''Pefka'' variety with Oikonomidis and ''Oasia'' with
Mimis Traiforos. In 1949‒50, he participated in Koula Nikolaidou's musical company at the ''Verdun'' theatre () at
Alexandras Avenue
Alexandra's Avenue ( Greek: Λεωφόρος Αλεξάνδρας ''Leoforos Alexandras'') is a main east–west thoroughfare running from Patission Street/28 October Street and Kifissias Avenue in the northern part of the city of Athens, Gree ...
.
At the ''Verdun'' theatre, Hatzichristos acted for his first time in his successful run in the role of a villager character called ''Thymios'', a role inspired by Kostas Nikolaidis, brother of his wife Mary Nikolaidou. Hatzichristos first screen appearance was in the movie ''The Knights' Castle'' in 1952 with Giorgos Asimakopoulos and
Nikos Tsiforos. At the same time, he was successful at the theatre founded in 1952 his own theatrical troupe and in 1960 became theatrical entrepreneur founded his own theatre ''Hatzichristos Theatre'' ()
premiered on 18 February 1960, later renamed as the ''Treatre Orfeas'', at
Panepistimiou Avenue in the Athens neighborhood of
Akadimia
Akadimia (, ), literally "Academy", is a neighborhood in central Athens, Greece.
Located directly north and slight west of Syntagma Square, it is bounded by Akadimias Street, Panepistimiou Street, Solonos Street and Stadiou Street. It is named ...
. One of the greatest successes in his career was in the movie ''What a Mess'' () in 1963, and also in the movie ''Τhe Man Who Returned from the Plates'' () in 1969 with Anna Fonsou and
Dionysis Papagiannopoulos
Dionysis Papagiannopoulos ( el, Διονύσης Παπαγιαννόπουλος; 12 July 1912 – 17 April 1984) was a Greek actor. He was born in Diakopto in the northeastern part of Achaea in 1912. He studied at the Drama School of the Natio ...
. He also produced three movies and directed eight.
His theatrical work continued until 1983. After a long period of absence he returned into the theatre in 1994‒95 era and played in the local ''Hatzichristos Theatre''. His difficult years begun when his third wife, Eleni Pantazi
died at the age of 42.
Kostas Hatzichristos died by cancer on 3 October 2001, suffering from economic problems.
He was interred at public expense at
First Cemetery of Athens
The First Cemetery of Athens ( el, Πρώτο Νεκροταφείο Αθηνών, ''Próto Nekrotafeío Athinón'') is the official cemetery of the City of Athens and the first to be built. It opened in 1837 and soon became a prestigious ceme ...
on 5 October 2001.
Personal life
He was engaged with the actress Ntina Trianti with whom they had starred in several movies together. His first marriage was done during the
Axis occupation of Greece with a woman named Nitsa
who was from
Naousa, Imathia
Naousa ( el, Νάουσα, historically Νάουσσα - ''Naoussa''; rup, Naustã), officially The Heroic City of Naousa is a city in the Imathia regional unit of Macedonia, Greece with a population of 21,139 (2016).
An industrial center since ...
. They were living together for many years. In 1949 he married Mary Nikolaidou with whom he had one daughter, Teta Hatzichristou
who was married actor
Petros Fyssoun with whom he had one daughter, actress Ania Fyssoum. In 1955 he married actress
Ketty Diridaoua and divorced in 1975, with whom he had one daughter Marialena Hatzichristou. His third wife was Eleni Pantazi.
His last wife was Voula Arvanitaki-Hatzichristou.
Filmography
Selected theatrical plays
References
External links
*
* at
Discogs
Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the ...
* at Retrodb
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatzichristos, Kostas
1921 births
2001 deaths
Deaths from cancer in Greece
Greek male film actors
Greek comedians
Male actors from Athens
Actors from Thessaloniki
20th-century comedians