Spyros Fokas: The actor who bewitched international audience dies at 86

Actor Spyros Fokas died at the age of 86 on Friday. He was one of the few Greek actors to have an international career and played in many notable foreign films, such as “Rocco and his Brothers” or the Hollywood blockbusters “The Jewel of the Nile”(1985) and “Rambo III” (1988), among others.

Fokas, was born in Patras and graduated from Kostis Michailidis drama school.

He discovered his love for cinema at early age and at one point he decided to become an actor.

One of Greece’s most respected and well-known actors, Spyros Fokas was discovered by legendary Italian director Luchino Visconti and cast in a lead role in the classic Rocco and his Brothers (1960).

His first role in a foreign film, an Italian production, was that of Bruno in the film “Morte di un amico” (Death of a Friend, 1960.)

He went on to star in many Greek and Italian films throughout the 1960s and ’70s, working with famous directors such as Vincente Minnelli and Ferdinando Baldi.

Σήμερα το πρωί πέταξε για την γειτονιά των αγγέλων ο αγαπημένος μας ηθοποιός Σπύρος Φωκάς. Γοητευτικός, ταλαντούχος και χαμηλών τόνων, ο Σπύρος ήταν από τους πρώτους Έλληνες ηθοποιούς που έκανε διεθνή καριέρα παίζοντας δίπλα σε μεγάλους σταρ όπως η Λάιζα Μινέλι και ο Αλέν Ντελόν.… pic.twitter.com/pJ4sIFLII7

— Finos Film (@FinosFilm) November 10, 2023

He returned to Greece in the 60s and played in films produced by Greek film production company Finos Films.

acted in over 30 films, both foreign and Greek productions, the majority of them produced in Italy and in the USA.

He also played in well-known theaters abroad.

Greeks loved to call the handsome actor as “the Greek Omar Sharif.

He was married four times and had said that he “never wanted to bring children in this world we live in.”