Actor Christos Malakis
A GREAT ACTOR
Christos and I met a few years ago. We discovered that we have a lot of common acquaintances (Athens is a big town anyway).
He is one of the actors with a very long career in the theatre, who became well-known to the general public with his role in a successful TV series a few years ago.
MINI BIO
Born and raised in Athens. He holds a degree in Computer Applications and graduated from the National Theatre School. He has worked with the National Theatre, the Poreia Theatre, the Greek Art Theatre (Theatro Technis Karolos Koun), the Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, the Apothiki Theatre, the Athinon Theatre and the Megaron Athens Concert Hall.
He has participated in many award-winning theatrical performances such as:
"Lysistrata" (2010), "Immanuel Kahn" (2015), "The Ignorant and the Insane" (2016), "Junkermann" (2018), "My people" (2018), "The Cossack of Castropyrgos" (2021), "Oedipus Rex" (2023), "The Loneliness of the West" (2023) and "Strindberg’s Oresteia" (2024).
As for his TV career, he has taken part in several TV series such as:
"Black Midnight" (2007-2009), "Paradise Road 7" (2006), "Mystery Stories" (2007), "In Jordan" (2002), "Aggeliki" (2020-2021), "Agries Melisses" (2019-2022) and "Psychokores" (2023). In cinema, he has taken part in the film "Alithini Zoi” (2004).
“The word theatre comes from the Greeks. It means the seeing place. It is the place people come to see the truth about life and the social situation.”
DECADES ON STAGE
Christos Malakis is considered one of the most successful actors of his generation.
"When I prepare a role, I sit down and work on it for a long time. I'm looking for findings, to build his psychograph. It hasn't occurred to me until today that a role I can't play. And as an acting teacher it is my obligation to unlock my students, I don't like people who clip your wings," he has said.
A few years ago, Christos gave his usual acting recital, spreading fear and terror among the residents in the fictional Diafani, with the role of the ruthless security guard Dounia in “Agries Melisses” (“Wild Bees“), which, though not the lead role, became the talk of the town.
"I was surprised that I have been an actor for so many years and until I played in “Agries Melisses” no one on the street recognised me. So suddenly I was faced with a shockwave, people suddenly started talking to me..."
He likes to take walks on the sea in his free time, to stare at the famous tavern "Velanidia" of Rafina, which belonged to his grandfather Christos Malakis, to bring back childhood images in his mind and generally to dream of a better world for everyone, but more so for the younger generation.
He went on to work in television again (without ever leaving the theatre of course), with his even bigger role in the ANT1 series "Psychokores", where he again played a cruel and abusive man.
"I was negative about television, I had a prejudice, I had a wrong mindset. But I'm an evolving person, I do a lot of work on myself, I like to acknowledge my mistakes and move on. "
Today he teaches acting at the Vassilis Diamantopoulos-Iasmos school and tries to unlock his students.
PHOTOSHOOT
We did a photo shoot together some time ago, near his home in his beloved Rafina. I tried with the images to capture his vast expressive range, which I knew first hand, as I had already admired him in 3 different performances before photographing him. It's impressive to see up close how disciplined he is and how masterful he can change his face and posture depending on the task at hand.
It's no coincidence that there has been such an appreciation of him in recent years. He consistently serves his field, he unfolds his acting skills brilliantly in every job he does and I'm very happy we worked together.
If you are in Athens these days, you can enjoy him in “Strindberg's Oresteia”, an ambitious theatrical venture that has been staged at the Anesis Theatre.
