Giorgos Marinos
Giorgos Marinos (Greek: Γιώργος Μαρίνος, Athens, 18 June 1939 - Athens, 10 March 2026) was a Greek singer, actor and entertainer, one of the pioneers of live show in Greece. His parents divorced when he was just one year old and he grew up with his mother, Vasiliki. His father, Alexandros, was absent from his childhood, as he was exiled in Makronissos. He saw him for the first time when he was 12 years old. His parents wanted him to become a civil engineer or architect like his father, who was also talented in mathematics. However, he, still a minor, secretly took exams at the National Theater School. In 1962, during his second year at the National Theatre, he performed in Manos Hadjidakis's Odos oneiron, along with Dimitris Horn, Rena Vlachopoulou, Maro Kontou and other renowned artists. He performed the song "Kathe kipos". From then on, his career in the theater, as well as the nightclubs of the time, began. At the same time, he made a few appearances in cinema, such as in Ionas Daifas' film O tritos dromos, starring Maro Kontou. Combining acting and singing, he presented for the first time in Greece a different kind of entertainment consisting of prose, satire, dance and song. He appeared for almost 20 years (1973-1992) at Makrygiannis, in "Medusa". He had a close friendship with Manos Hadjidakis and Nikos Gatsos. Giorgos Marinos was the first showman of Greece, the man who, with his sketches, caustic lines and imitations, caused laughter and satirized the ills of Greek society. In his personal life, he was particularly lonely. His two passions were always astrology and his dogs. A few years ago, he retired from artistic activities and isolated himself in his home in Neo Voutza, an area near Rafina. He worked for several years on various music venues and theater stages presenting his creations, while he took part in several television series, most notably the show Ciao ANT1, in the mid-1990s. A few of his film appearances have also been recorded. Giorgos Marinos was the first famous person to come out and speak openly about his homosexuality in the mid-1960s, in a conservative Greece. He had revealed to his parents at the age of sixteen that he was homosexual. He had been the inspiration for the creation of the song "Achilleas from Cairo" by his collaborator Kostas Tournas. Nevertheless, as he himself has stated, the great love of his life was the actress Katiana Balanika. They were partners for four years in the late 1960s. As he had said, he did not want to get married and have children, because he believed that it would be unfair for his child to suffer his "sinful" past. Nevertheless, their paths did not part, neither professionally nor as friends. They collaborated for years on "Medusa" and their friendship remained until the end of his life. In recent years he had been facing various health problems, while for a time he was hosted at the Actor's House. He died from complications of dementia on March 10, 2026, at the age of 86.
| Known For | Acting |
|---|---|
| Most Rating | 0.0468 |
| Birthday | 1939-06-18 |
| Place of Birth | Votanikos, Athens, Greece |
| Also Known As |
1967
For the heart of beautiful Helen
6.5/2
Louisa's father does not approve her young painter lover because he is poor.
Watch Now
For the heart of beautiful Helen
2001
The Cistern
6.333/6
In 1974, a group of 11-year-old boys spend the last carefree summer of their childhood, unaware that the world of grown-ups, with its loves, passions,...
Watch Now
The Cistern
1995
The Charioteer
7.25/4
A social drama covering fifty years of Greece’s recent history, using the statue of the Delphi charioteer as a symbolic image, with the young hero emb...
Watch Now
The Charioteer
1972
Boom Taratajum
5.667/3
Two itinerant actress, the Vlakometros and Poniridis, arrive at Adira, a city of ancient Greece groaning under the despotic rule of the tyrant Hippias...
Watch Now
Boom Taratajum
1960
The Dawn of Triumph
6.667/3
A group of resistance fighters during the Occupation, collaborates with a lieutenant who comes to Greece from the headquarters of the Middle East, aim...
Watch Now
The Dawn of Triumph
1974
Okay, man
5.5/2
A singer, who goes to America hoping to make a career, finds himself involved in a drug trafficking case. He refuses to join this ring, and in his eff...
Watch Now
Okay, man
1966
A Bullet Through the Heart
6/5
Francesco, a young Sicilian aristocrat, scars an aging gangster who has set out to take away his property. The gangster vows to obtain vengeance, and...
Watch Now
A Bullet Through the Heart
1973
In the Spider's Web
7/1
Professor Algeras becomes the target of foreign agents working for major powers, who use every legitimate and illegitimate means at their disposal to...
Watch Now
In the Spider's Web
1967
The Road to Corinth
4.45/10
The widow of a murdered undercover NATO officer in Greece is the prime suspect in his killing. She finds herself embroiled in a bigger conspiracy abo...
Watch Now
The Road to Corinth
1963
Ο τρίτος δρόμος
8/1
Watch Now