Alexis Minotis

Who was Alexis Minotis?

Alexis Minotakis, known as Alexis Minotis, was born 8 August 1898 or 1899 in Deliana, Chania, Crete and died on 11 November 1990 in Athens, Greece.

Minotis was a distinguished Greek actor and director. He first appeared on stage in his native Crete as Chorus Leader and later as Messenger in Sophocles' Oedipus Tyrannus. From 1925 until 1930, he worked in close collaboration with the famous Greek actress Marika Kotopouli in her own theatre. During this period, he appeared in the great Shakespearan roles in The Merchant of Venice, King Lear, Macbeth and played the title role in Hamlet, the first time the play had been staged in Greece. Other roles in the classical repertoire were Ibsen's Ghosts and Peer Gynt. He expanded his talents by directing ancient Greek tragedies such as Hecuba, Antigone, The Phoenissae, Prometheus Bound, Oedipus at Colonus, as well as Sean O'Casey's Juno and the Paycock, Strindberg's The Father and Brecht`s Mother Courage.

In 1940, he married the actress Katina Paxinou and together they appeared in many productions at the National Theatre in Athens, since its founding 1n 1930 by Minister of Education George Papandreou.