Smaro Stefanidou

Smaro Stefanidou (Greek: Σμάρω Στεφανίδου; 9 April 1913 – 7 November 2010) was a Greek theatre, film, television and radio actress. Her family's origin is from Asia Minor. She graduated from Business School in Athens, she learned foreign languages and the piano. From a very young age she presented plays for children. Without telling her parents, she worked to pay for her tuition at the National Theatre Drama School, as her parents didn't want her to become an actress.

After her graduation from the Drama School, in 1937, she was hired by the top theatre star of these times, Marika Kotopouli. Since 1952 she was the main character actress in the company of Vassilis Logothetidis, with whom she stayed until his death, in 1960.

She also she acted alongside Katerina, Elli Lampeti, Dimitris Horn, Lambros Konstantaras, Giannis Fertis, Xenia Kalogeropoulou, Aliki Vougiouklaki, Stefanos Lineos, Giannis Gkionakis, Nikos Kourkoulos, Antonis Antypas and many more.

A bright point in her career was her rendition of queen Hecuba in the play Trojan Women by Euripides translated and directed by Giannis Tsarouchis at a makeshift theatre on Kaplanon Street and in Delphi At the "Tsarouhis Academy", as she playfully called it, she learned a lot from the charismatic artist.

She made her first cinema appearance in 1951, with G. Zervos' film "Four steps". Since then, she appeared in many movies, among which adaptations of theatre plays in which she had played. She also worked a lot for the radio, taking part in radio serials, radio theatre and readings of novels.

She married singer - chansonnier Vassos Seitanidis (1913–1965) Their daughter, Leda - Irene, now known as Leda Shantala, is a yoga teacher, Bharata natyam dancer/teacher/choreographer and dance therapist.

In autumn 2003 Smaro Stefanidou and her daughter created the "Shantom House of Culture", in Chalandri (a suburb of Athens), a centre hosting lessons, workshops and seminars (dance, yoga, martial arts, theatre, alternative therapies etc...) as well as performances.

She died in 2010, at the age of 97, and is buried in the First Cemetery.