One of Greece’s greatest actors, Kostas Kazakos passed away at the age of 87. In the last few weeks, Kostas Kazakos was being hospitalised at Evangelismos hospital. According to reports, he was suffering from a serious respiratory problem.
He had contracted the coronavirus and this was one of the reasons his health suffered. It is noted that last April Kostas Kazakos left the show where he starred and was replaced by another actor.
Kostas Kazakos was born in 1935 in Pyrgos Ilias. At the age of 18, he settled in Athens to study pedagogy, however, his father’s leftist political views became a reason for his negative treatment by the university. The administration demanded a social studies paper against communism but he refused to resulting in him not being allowed to enroll in the school. Thus, he decided to change careers and studied at the Lykourgos Stavrakos Film School (1953-1956) and the Karolos Koun Drama School (1954-1957).
He was vice-president of the Hellenic Centre of the International Theatre Institute, general secretary of the Panhellenic Union of Free Theater, and President of the Panhellenic Cultural Movement. At the same time, he was a founding member of the Hellenic Arab Association and a member of the Committee for the Licensing of the Profession of Actors.
He was honoured with the “Golden Apollo”, an actor award of the Athens Film Critics Association in 1967, and the 1st Gold Award of the Thessaloniki Film Festival in 1973 for the best theatrical production (“Lysistrata”). He was also honored with the Award of the Union of Playwrights and Critics for his entire contribution.