A crowd of relatives, friends, and people from the artistic community gathered at Zografou Cemetery to bid farewell to Dani Katranidis, who passed away last Sunday at the age of 75.
By 12:30, when the funeral service for the actor was scheduled to take place, people from his close family circle and the theater community, which he had served for decades, had already arrived at the cemetery.
The actor’s former wives, Mirka Papakonstantinou and Eliza Palli, were present at the last farewell, walking with emotion during the funeral service.
Among the first to arrive at the cemetery were Eleni Rantou, Stamatios Fasoulis, and Vladimiros Kyriakidis with his wife, Efi Mouriki. The funeral was also attended by Lakis Lazopoulos, Giorgos Kyritsis, and Angela Gerekou.
Dimitris Piatas: “Brave Until the End”
Speaking to journalists, Dimitris Piatas, moved, said about Dani Katranidis: “Though younger than me, Dani remained young both internally and externally until the end and was beautiful. He was an amazing friend, noble, unique, and brave until the end.”
Vladimiros Kyriakidis: “May He Rest in Peace”
Vladimiros Kyriakidis told the cameras: “Today, we all bid farewell to a great man, a talented artist. We lived with him, loved him, adored him. He was a tremendous talent, and we learned a lot from him. The most important thing is that he was a very good person. May he rest in peace; his soul has found rest,” adding that he leaves an indelible mark, his talent was inexhaustible, and he will be missed.
Lakis Lazopoulos
Lakis Lazopoulos at Dani Katranidis’s funeral
Angela Gerekou
Angela Gerekou at Dani Katranidis’s funeral
Giorgos Kyritsis and Spyros Bibilas
Dani Katranidis was born on August 4, 1949, in Aigaleo. He graduated in 1971 from the Higher Drama School of Athens, George Theodosiadis. From 1971 to 1978, he was an actor at the National Theatre. During the 1978-1979 theater season, he made history in the role of the compere in the legendary production of “Cabaret” staged by Aliki Vougiouklaki.
He performed in all types of theater, from tragedy and comedy to musicals and revue, and his involvement in radio theater was also highly noteworthy. He taught at the Higher Drama School “Iasmos” and the Theater Workshop “Vasilis Diamantopoulos.” A sea enthusiast and skilled sailor, he participated in numerous open-sea races.
Personal Life
In 1971, he married actress (and classmate at George Theodosiadis’s School) Mirka Papakonstantinou. They divorced in 1977. Dani Katranidis was married three times but did not have children, which he had mentioned in an interview. “I had three marriages because I wanted to start a family. The marriages were spaced out over many years, not happening every month. The first was 17 years apart from the second, and the second from the third was 10. It’s a reasonable period for someone to say they can build their life, start a family, and have children. I do not regret having done it. The reason I didn’t have children was not due to medical issues. There was another reason, and it seems it was for the best. I have no complaints. I’ve been given things generously in work and life, more than I expected. I’ve made many mistakes; I thank the people who treated me with leniency.”
