Eleni Papadaki

Biography

Eleni was a Greek actress. A unique woman, a complex and charismatic personality, full of sensitivities and tenderness but also brave, determined, strong and risky. She had a legion of followers but also an army of enemies. Many attempts to upstage her were often made over the years by people who had the power and/or connections in the theatrical business; she was often the subject of bitter jealousy from her fellow actors and actresses; her rivalry with the Oscar-winning Katina Paxinou was well-known back in the days. During the Axis occupation of Greece in World War II the rumor that she was having an affair with collaborationist Prime Minister Ioannis Rallis resulted to a new kind of hatred. The truth is that Eleni Papadaki had saved many people from the Germans during the War. The Greek Actor's Association finally expelled her from its ranks. A few months after the liberation of Athens she was arrested by members of the Greek partisan army and was executed without a trial as a war criminal. Shortly after her murder was admitted to be "a big mistake" and "an idiocy" even by the leaders of the Greek partisans.