Renowned actress Maro Kontou has died at the age of 92. In recent months, she had been battling serious health problems and had been hospitalized at Agios Savvas Hospital.

The actress, who had lung cancer, was initially treated at Attikon University Hospital before being transferred to Agios Savvas. She was admitted to Attikon on the evening of Monday, June 15.

Maro Kontou was taken to the hospital on the evening of Monday, June 15. At the time, Michalis Giannakos, president of the Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN), spoke about her condition and the reason for her hospitalization on the TV program Buongiorno:

“During last night’s on-call shift, Maro Kontou came to the hospital with a serious respiratory problem. She is currently being treated in the cardiology ward while being monitored by pulmonologists. Her condition is serious, and the doctors and nursing staff are making every possible effort—as they do for all patients—to help her recover. We are doing everything we can. We wish her a speedy recovery and hope she pulls through. Her condition is respiratory in nature, and at this time she does not require admission to the intensive care unit. It is a serious condition, not a viral infection, but we hope she will make it.”

While the actress was hospitalized, another incident occurred on the evening of Wednesday, June 24, when a 90-year-old man attempted to enter the ward where Maro Kontou was being treated. He was carrying a flower pot and an object that concealed a knife.

The elderly man was arrested by police and taken to the Haidari Police Department, while authorities investigated the circumstances and his motives.

According to hospital representatives, the man initially claimed to be a patient’s relative in order to gain access to the building. He then tried to approach the ward where the actress was hospitalized. Because that ward had stricter visitor security measures, staff questioned his identity and alerted the police.

Speaking to the television network Mega, the man insisted that he had no intention of causing trouble and said he carried the knife because he often walked at night:

“I always carry the knife. It wasn’t for Maro Kontou. I walk around at night, and I had it because I planned to be out,” he said.

Marianthi (Maro) Kontou was born in Koukaki on June 21, 1934, and was one of the most important Greek actresses of theatre and cinema. Alongside her artistic career, she also developed political activity, serving as a municipal councillor for the City of Athens and as a Member of Parliament for the First Electoral District of Athens with New Democracy.

She was originally from the island of Psara and graduated from the 3rd Girls’ High School of Makrygianni. She studied dance at what later became the State School of Dance Arts, earning a scholarship to attend the HLADEK school in Germany. She also completed her studies in the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens.

During a career spanning more than 35 years, she appeared in 61 films and starred in approximately 90 theatrical productions, performing roles from both the Greek and international repertoire.

Her first professional steps were taken in 1954 with the Ancient Tragedy Dance Group of the National Theatre of Greece, where she remained until 1958. She received a professional acting licence as an exceptional talent from the Higher State Committee of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, and in 1959 made her first theatre appearance alongside Dimitris Horn in Jacques Deval’s play Romancero.

In 1990, she presented the programme Horis Parestigisi (“No Offence Intended”) on ET2, which aired for 14 episodes, with Rena Vlahopoulou as her first guest. Apart from acting, she also engaged in painting. In 1993, she held an exhibition of her works at the Antinor Gallery, while one of her paintings became part of the collection of the Vorres Museum.

On television, she appeared in popular series including Happy Sunday, Luna Park, The Guilty, The Great Parade, Crime in Psychiko, The Passion, An Angel by Mistake, An Incredible Grandmother, Casino Family, All Four Were Wonderful, Relaxed and Light, while her final television appearance was in the series Land of Olives (I Gi tis Elias, 2021–2026).

In politics, she served as a Member of Parliament for the First Electoral District of Athens with New Democracy. Her first parliamentary term lasted from July 29, 1999, until April 2000. In January 2007, she returned to Parliament as the first alternate MP from the 2004 elections, following the resignation of Nikitas Kaklamanis due to his candidacy for Mayor of Athens. She was not elected in the 2007 parliamentary elections.

At the same time, she served as a municipal councillor of the City of Athens from 1994 to 2002, during the mayoralty of Dimitris Avramopoulos. She was also president of the municipal radio station Athens 9.84 from 1995 to 2002, as well as president of the “MITERA” Child Care Centre from 2004 to 2006.

Maro Kontou was married to Aristeidis Karydis-Fuchs, the cinematographer of Finos Film, and later to advertising executive Giorgos Doxa. In an earlier interview, the actress spoke about her efforts to have a child and her decision not to become a mother. She said:

“I tried, but it wasn’t possible, and I accepted it. Something I cannot do does not concern me. I was a beautiful young woman whom everyone wanted. I always had the complex that I could not have children. I did not have the confidence I have at 90.”

She added: “I have a wonderful time alone and people do not believe me when I say it. I did a lot of work on myself in order to be alone. Around the age of 50, I went through a crisis, a confusion about who I was.”

In another interview, she spoke about her attempt to become a mother: “With one of my two great loves, I went abroad to look into my fertility issues. I was 36 years old and very much in love. I said that I could not have children, and my partner at the time suggested that we visit a German-Swiss doctor, who told me that I would never have a child.”