Christoforos Papakaliatis
| Christoforos Papakaliatis | |
|---|---|
| Born |
23 December 1975 Heraklion, Greece |
| Occupation | Actor, writer, director |
| Years active | 1993–present |
Christoforos Papakaliatis (Greek: Χριστόφορος Παπακαλιάτης, Greek pronunciation: [xriˈstoforos papakaˈʎatis]; born 23 December 1975) is a Greek actor, film director and screenwriter.
He was born and raised in Athens, Greece, by mother Villy Malamis (South African) and father Emmanuel Papakaliatis (Greek). '
TELEVISION:
He was first cast at the age of 16 and started his career as a teen actor in numerous roles in successful TV shows from Mega Channel, the biggest TV network in Greece at that time.
At the age of 23, he decided to create his own tv shows, by writing his first script. His first TV script "Our Life Is A Path" (Greek: Η ζωή μας μια βόλτα) was aired on Mega channel and was well recognized by critics and public giving him the green light for further projects.
The following season he wrote and starred in the TV series "Take Care Of Me" (aka: Να με προσεχείς) and after that, he wrote and starred in the TV movie "Three Wishes".
One of his biggest commercial success was the TV show "Close Your Eyes" (aka Κλείσε τα μάτια) which was one of the highest rating series in Greece. He wrote and starred like with his previous projects, only this time, he decided to direct most of the second and third season episodes. In the TV drama "Close Your Eyes" a kiss between two men caused a great debate in Greece (as it was the first time for two male characters to kiss on air) and was followed by a fine by the Greek National Council for Radio and Television but was later withdrawn by The Council of State.
In 2006 he wrote, directed and starred in a new drama-thriller series "Two Days Only"(aka Δυο μέρες μόνο) and in 2009 he wrote, directed and starred in the TV series "4" (aka Τέσσερις). It was the same year that he got accepted as a member of the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (EMMY International).
FILM:
In 2012, he starred next to Catherine Deneuve and Sebastian Koch in the feature film "God Loves Caviar" directed by Iannis Smaragdis.
What If....[1] (aka: Αν) (2012) was his first feature film. The film was written and directed by him, while at the same time he played the leading role of Demetris. The movie was a great box office success in Greece for the 2012-2013 season, remaining in theaters for more than 4 months and making a $4.5M box office."What If" was screened in numerous of festivals around the world, but never got international distribution. In 2013, it was qualified to run for a Golden Globe nomination as a foreign movie but never made it to the finals. In 2017, its script was sold in Turkey and a Turkish adaptation will be soon shot in Istanbul.
In 2015, his second feature film "Worlds Apart" starring Academy Award winner J.K. Simmons had its official theatrical release in Greece. A love story set in Athens between foreigners and Greeks in the middle of the biggest incoming immigration wave and huge economic crisis, that Europe and especially Greece is facing. The movie made a $5M box-office and set a new record in the Greek market, being the highest grossing film in the last decade, notably surpassing blockbusters like Star Wars-"The Force Awakening" and James Bond "Spectre". Worlds Apart had international distribution and was released in 25 countries worldwide. In January 2017, the movie was released theatrically in the US by Cinema Libre Studio, receiving positive reviews from the LA Times[2] and other publications as well. Also in 2017, the movie was released theatrically in Switzerland and Austria by Trigon Films.
THEATRE:
- In 1996-1998 he played his first leading role in 'Les Parents Terribles' written by Jean Cocteau.
- In 1999-2000 he played the leading role in "The Thief" written by Marie Pacome.
- In 2001 he played in the theatrical adaptation of the film "Shallow Grave" by John Golf.
- In 2007 he played "Human Voices" a puzzle of monologues written by Jean Cocteau.
- In 2011-2012 he played Volfgang Amadeus Mozart in the well-known theatrical play "Amadeus" by Peter Shaffer. Due to its box office success, the play had a second theatrical season.
Presently, Christopher Papakaliatis divides his time between Greece and Los Angeles working on his upcoming TV and film projects.
References
- ↑ Papapostolou, Anastasios (May 31, 2013). ""What If" you never watch this interview with Christopher Papakaliatis…". Greek hollywood reporter. Retrieved 2013-09-30.
- ↑ "Romantic drama 'Worlds Apart' spins three satisfying love stories set in Greece". Los Angeles Times. 2017-01-19. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved 2017-08-07.