An outstanding talent, wonderful voice, a diligent, honest person: These were the personality traits of Yiannis Fertis who passed away yesterday, just a few days before his 86th birthday. A great actor, with a career spanning six full decades with performances that ranged from ancient drama, with a selective but strong presence in cinema and television. He stood out for his unique personality earning the title of one of the most noble and understated figures in the Greek theatrical scene.
He came from a family of four children who moved to Athens from their village in Phthiotis, whose parents manged to open their own butcher shop where all the children helped out. Fertis was fascinated by theatrical plays and this led him to the stage. He was only 14 when he attended his first performance starring Anna Synodinou and Dinos Iliopoulos at the “Acropolis” it was then he decided he wanted to become an actor. A decision he never regretted: “If I could turn back time, I would still choose the theater,” he stated in absolute certainty, decades later.
Enchanted by the theatrical art, young Yiannis would steal hours from his busy daily schedule, which included work at the butcher shop in the morning and school in the afternoon, to sneak into the galleries of the National and Art Theater to watch performances. At other times, he would buy books with theatrical plays and passionately recite them alone, without anyone listening.
A little later, he sat exams at the Karolos Koun Art Theater and enthusiastically began his studies, during which he had the opportunity to meet the crème de la crème of the Greek acting scene. He had just completed his first year of studies when he found himself playing alongside Melina Mercouri in the play “Sweet Bird of Youth”.
During this period he performed in many more plays by important, mainly foreign, playwrights, such as “An Inspector Calls” by J.B. Priestley, “Our Town” by Thornton Wilder, “The Two-Headed Eagle” by Jean Cocteau, “Mother Courage” by Bertolt Brecht, and others.
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His acquaintance with Xenia Kalogeropoulou in the early 1960s, on the film set, proved crucial not only in his personal life, but also in his professional life. Together, as co-stars, for a decade they presented a series of notable performances, with highlights being “The Seagull” by Anton Chekhov, as well as works by Oscar Wilde, Pirandello, and Ibsen. His love for international theatrical masterpieces will remain unchanged over time.
One of his most productive collaborations was with Spiros Evangelatos’ Amphitheater in the early ’90s, during which he portrayed major roles in productions such as “Woyzeck” by Büchner and the classic “Hamlet” by his beloved Shakespeare. During that period, he also appeared at the Ancient Theater of Epidaurus, playing Orestes in Aeschylus’ “Oresteia” and in Sophocles’ “Electra.” His participation in Euripides’ “The Bacchae” had preceded this, back in 1973, While several other performances would follow,with “Electra” in 2007 set in the National Theatre and directed by the great Peter Stein.
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The last performance of his life was “A True Cowboy,” which was the work of Marília Samper Torres, premiered in October 2019 at the Micro Horio theater he portrayed, in a poignant manner, an elderly man suffering from Alzheimer’s.
A short while later, unfortunately, he would himself face the harsh reality of the passage of time, as his health would deteriorate, and he would be forced to confront his greatest nightmare: the ordeal of illness.
Although he was mostly known as a stage actor, Yiannis Fertis also made a few, albeit notable, appearances in films alongside prominent actors in the likes of Manos Katrakis, Jenny Karezi, Zoe Laskari, Kostas Kazakos, Xenia Kalogeropoulou, in movies like “Which is Margarita?” (1961) by Dimis Dadiras, “The Roadblock” (1965) by Adonis Kyrou, “With a Sparkle in the Eyes” (1966) by Panos Glykofrydis, “Those Who Spoke with Death” (1970) by Giannis Dalianidis, “Love Forever” (1970) by Vasilis Georgiadis, “Submarine Papadakis” (1971) by Giorgos Zervoulakos, and the romantic drama “That Summer” (1971) by Vasilis Georgiadis, starring Elena Nathanael and Lakis Komninos, where he participated in a different role, performing wonderfully, along with Afroditi Manou, the song “When You Look at Me”.
One of his most significant cinematic experiences, undoubtedly, was his participation in the 1962 film “Electra,” directed by Michael Cacoyannis, alongside the great Irene Papas.
As for television, he was even more selective. He was established as one of the most charming actors of the time with his role in “The Notary” broadcasted by ERT. During the 1970s, he appeared in other series of public television such as “Immortal Love Stories,” “The Teacher with the Golden Eyes,” and “The Miserables.” Several years later he starred in television the most renouned being “Vion Anthosparton,” where he co-starred with Yiannis Bezos and Natalia Tsali.
Throughout his journey he aimed to maintain a balance between his professional and personal life. His first marriage was to Xenia Kalogeropoulou, a strong relationship that persisted even after their separation, when he fell in love with singer Tania Tsanaklidou, with whom he collaborated for a decade. His relationship with Mimis Denissi was overwhelming, leading to a second marriage that lasted from 1981 to 1988, while his third marriage in 2001 to actress Marina Psalti proved to be more stable, profound, strong, and long-lasting, with Psalti standing by his side until his last breath.
“A few years ago, I confessed that women played a significant role in my life. I had life relationships.” Yiannis Fertis was a person who had a lot of love within him, tender, giving, and above all honest and clear with his own and others’ feelings.
