Christos Politis, the famous actor who made a big impact on theater, TV, and film, has passed away. He was best known for his role as ‘Yangos Drakos’ in the long-running Greek TV series ‘Lampsi’.
With a career that lasted over 40 years, Christos Politis was a dedicated artist. He loved theater deeply and worked with integrity. A key part of his journey was the Simple Theater, which he helped start from 1974 to 1990. This group focused on bringing theater to different parts of Greece and later set up a permanent home in Kallithea.
The Simple Theater showcased both classic and modern plays, featuring works by Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams, and Loula Anagnostaki. They also introduced Joe Orton’s plays to Greek audiences for the first time. This chapter ended in 1990 when the troupe disbanded.
He passed away peacefully at the age of 83, just as he lived: quietly but meaningfully.
In cinema, he started his career in 1968 with ‘Avenue of Hate’ by Nikos Foskolos. In 1969, he appeared in films like ‘Saint Nektarios: The Protector of the Poor’. That same year, he won Best Supporting Actor at the Thessaloniki Film Festival for his role in ‘The Girl of 17′. He often worked with producer James Paris and returned to film in 2022 with Christos Massalas’ movie ‘Broadway’.
His first TV role was in 1973 in ‘The Nets of Terror’. He took part in major shows like ‘Queen Amalia’ and ‘Aphrodite’, but his big break came in 1991 when he joined ‘Lampsi’. His character ‘Yangos Drakos’ became well-known as he played it for 14 years until summer 2005.
Besides acting, he worked on radio productions and taught at George Theodosiadis’ Drama School of Athens for two years. He also ventured into politics. In 1998, he was elected as a prefectural councilor of Athens and ran for the State List of Political Spring in the 1996 elections.
Christos Politis graduated from the National Theatre Drama School in 1965. His first stage performance was during the 1965-1966 season with Giannis Fertis – Xenia Kalogeropoulou’s troupe in ‘Ten Little Indians’. Over the years, he acted in more than 45 plays, worked with the National Theatre, and performed ancient dramas like Aeschylus’ ‘The Libation Bearers – The Eumenides’ and Euripides’ ‘Hippolytus’, which were featured at international festivals.
