Lambros Konstantaras was one of the most prominent Greek actors both on the stage and on screen, reaching his peak in 1960s-1970s comedies during the golden age of Greek cinema.
The charismatic actor remains seemingly omnipresent on television, thanks to continuous reruns of Greek movies from that era, which have become a staple of family entertainment. To say that the average Greek has watched his movies fewer than twenty times would be an understatement.
Although Konstantaras excelled in the demanding genre of comedy, his dramatic roles in theater and early films were also highly praised by critics.
A true Athenian, with roots in Constantinople (present day Istanbul), Lambros Konstantaras was born on March 13, 1913, in Kolonaki at 13 Ploutarchou Street, a detail he often highlighted throughout his life, reflecting his affinity for the number 13. The son of a goldsmith, he worked closely with his father and, after spending two years at the Naval Officers’ School on Corfu, pursued his passion for football as a goalkeeper.
He joined his favorite team, AEK, serving as a substitute goalkeeper for a time. In 1931, he traveled to Paris, France, to study goldsmithing and follow in his father’s footsteps. His love for football never waned, however, and he continued to follow both AEK and the Greek National Team for the rest of his life.
Greek actor Lambros Konstantaras was bitten by the acting bug in Paris
In Paris, Konstantaras stumbled upon acting almost accidentally. His unique looks and imposing physique led to invitations to appear as an extra in a film and later in a stage performance directed by renowned French actor and director Louis Jouvet. Enchanted by the spotlight, he made a drastic change in his life, deciding to pursue a career in acting.
He studied under Jouvet and made his first professional theater appearance in 1937 in Molière’s School for Women, which helped him develop his comic timing and stage presence. The following year, he returned to Greece and performed on stage in Athens in James Barrie’s play The Old Woman’s Medals alongside Katerina Andreadis.
This was followed by roles in Dimitris Psathas’ The Crooked Tree, Moliere‘s The Misanthrope, and Dostoevsky‘s The Gambler, performing with theater troupes such as Miranda-Pappa and Mousouri-Aroni. These roles allowed him to demonstrate his versatility, mastering both comedy and intense dramatic works, and establishing him as a well-rounded and critically respected actor.
On October 28, 1940, Konstantaras enlisted in the army to fight the Italians on the Albanian front. It was a time when actors, poets, writers, and other members of the arts enthusiastically joined the fight for Greece. At the front, Konstantaras formed a friendship with Odysseas Elytis, the celebrated Greek poet who would later be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1979. In fact, it was Elytis who escorted Konstantaras to the hospital when the actor suffered a head wound.
“They asked for my signature so they could open my head! So they could drill a hole in my skull ” he said in a TV interview years later. “I didn’t sign, and I survived!”
A famous ladies’ man
Konstantaras was known as one of Greece’s most famous ladies’ men and bon vivants—roles he often loved to play on screen because, as he joked, he was playing his own life. A famous anecdote recalls a scene in which he had to compete with a younger, handsome actor for a woman’s attention. Konstantaras reportedly yelled at the director, insisting that he was better looking than his rival and that the scene should either be changed or scrapped altogether.
From a young age, the Greek actor enjoyed great success with the opposite sex and had many romantic adventures. While in Paris, women rarely failed to notice him, earning him the nickname “Le beau Grec” (the handsome Greek).
His first great love, however, appeared in the winter of 1940–1941, when he met Giuli Georgopoulou while both were performing in the comedy This is a Life by Alekos Lidorikis. Until then, his relationships had largely been fleeting. The young actress was equally smitten with Konstantaras, so much so that she eventually left the theater. Their bond was strengthened not only by the German Occupation of Greece (April 1941- October 1944) but also by poverty, which brought the young couple closer together.
In 1949, Konstantaras shared the stage with renowned actress Anna Kalouta in the play He Loves Me, He loves Me Not. Their professional relationship took a personal turn when their erotic kisses in the performance shifted from acting to genuine ones.
“You’re a great kisser,” Konstantaras told her one night after the show.
“You too,” Kalouta replied—and their torrid love affair took off. For Anna Kalouta, the Greek actor Lambros Konstantaras was the man she loved most and the first man she gave herself to romantically. At one point, she became pregnant but tragically lost their twin sons. The love affair between the two lasted from 1949 to 1954.
Lambros Konstantaras’ career take-off as an actor
In 1948, Konstantaras formed a theater troupe for the first time with Miranda Myrat, and in 1958, he established his first personal troupe, presenting John Presley’s play The Inquisitor Is Coming.
During his long theatrical career, he collaborated with some of Greece’s most renowned actors, including Marika Kotopouli, Jenny Karezi, Maro Kontou, Nikos Rizos, Dinos Iliopoulos, Aliki Vougiouklaki, and Elli Lampeti. His final stage appearance was in Kostas Pretenteris’ comedy, Crazy Contacts of the Roman Type, in which he performed alongside Maro Kontou and Nikos Rizos from 1977 to 1979.
Lambros Konstantaras was especially popular on the big screen, with the Greek actor landing the leading role in his very first Greek film, The Song of Separation (1940), directed by Filopoimenos Finos. He went on to star in approximately ninety other films.
In the 1960s, he established himself as the cinematic father of the legendary Aliki Vougiouklaki, appearing alongside her in films such as Holidays in Aegina, Beating Came Out of Paradise, Alice in the Navy, My Daughter the Socialist, and Lisa and the Other.
Lambros Konstantaras: Established as one of Greece’s finest actors
In 1969, Konstantaras won the Best Actor award at the Thessaloniki Film Festival for his performance in Vassilis Georgiadis’ film The Blower. His final film was The Bright Wild Man (1981), directed by Kostas Karagiannis. On television, he gained recognition for his role as the womanizer Zachos Doganos in Kostas Pretenteris’ series Them and I, which aired from 1976 to 1977.
In 1971, at age 58, Konstantaras married for the second time, tying the knot with Filio Kekatou, who was 25 years younger. The couple had first met in 1961 and lived together for seven years before deciding to marry.
The wedding itself became the stuff of anecdotes. Konstantaras showed up an hour late to the church because he was glued to the radio, following how his other great love, AEK, was faring in an important match. AEK lost, and when the groom finally arrived, he walked into the church in noticeably bad spirits.
By that time, Lambros Konstantaras had established himself as one of the finest Greek actors—and the most popular comedy star of his era—with each new movie drawing bigger crowds than the last. His characters ranged widely: from the warmhearted everyman to the stern father, from slightly eccentric to completely outrageous, and from the suave ladies’ man to the witty middle-aged gentleman. No matter the role, he never failed to make audiences laugh.
Some of his most-loved movies include: Alice in the Navy (1961), The Card Player (1964), A Matter of Earnestness (1964), Jenny Jenny (1965), My Daughter the Socialist (1966), My Wife Is Crazy (1966), The Cheapskate (1967), Kati Kourasmena Palikaria (1967), The Crazy 50-Year-Old (1971), 30, 40, 50, All the Same (1972), The Man Who Came in From the Heat (1972), and The Man Who Always Made Jokes (1973) among others.
In 1978, Konstantaras suffered a diabetic crisis that led to a stroke. His health steadily deteriorated thereafter, but he managed to appear in one final movie in 1981, namely Lambroukos the Joker. He then retired from public life with his wife Filio by his side as his health worsened and he endured repeated strokes. The great Greek actor Lambros Konstantaras passed away on June 28, 1985, at the Asclepius Hospital in Voula.
He is survived by his grandson, who was named after him and who has built a successful career as a television show host.
