Maria Ioannidou
Maria Ioannidou made her first appearance in the theatre alongside Dimitris Horn and Elli Lambeti when she was just 7 years old. She later acted in Michalis Cacoyannis' film Noble Street, but her passion for dance had already emerged at the age of five. With her dance studies and her beautiful, expressive figure, she soon became one of the outstanding dancers of the golden age of Greek cinema.
She was born in Athens and began taking dance lessons at an early age at the Rallou Manou school. While still a student, she started her career in the Greek Dance Drama Company, founded by Rallou Manou in 1951, participating in performances of ancient drama.
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After receiving her diploma as a dancer with special talent, awarded by the Ministry of Culture, she continued her studies at the Michailidis-Aronis Drama School and appeared in two black-and-white films by Nikos Thalassinos, primarily as a dancer. She took on a few other small roles until 1970, the year she began a relationship with Vangelis Seilinos, with whom she not only married but also formed an artistic duo.
With her graceful and expressive physique, as well as her talent and training in dance, she became well known alongside Seilinos. She won the affection of the Greek audience and became more deeply involved in cinema, especially through the films of Giannis Dalianidis. From her roles in these films, she earned the nickname "the girl with the chewing gum," a label that has followed her ever since.
Her marriage to Seilinos didn’t last long, and she later married journalist and author Freddy Germanos, remaining with him until the end of his life. For a significant period, she withdrew from all artistic activity due to psychosomatic paralysis in her arms and legs following the death of her mother.
She performed in revues and films. For many years, she taught dance at her own schools. In recent years, she has returned to the stage, performing in spoken theatre plays.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Μικροί και μεγάλοι εν δράσει | — |
| 1964 | Δίψα για ζωή | — |
| 1965 | Διψασμένη για αγάπη | — |
| 1965 | Και οι 14 ήταν υπέροχοι | — |
| 1965 | Τα δίχτυα της ντροπής | — |
| 1965 | Μια τρελή τρελή οικογένεια | χορεύτρια |
| 1965 | Μπετόβεν και μπουζούκι | Ελενίτσα Καραμπά |
| 1966 | Άνθρωπος για όλες τις δουλειές | υπηρέτρια |
| 1966 | Ο αδερφός μου ο λόρδος | λουόμενη |
| 1966 | Ο πόνος του μπεκρή | Ελίζα |
| 1967 | 5 γυναίκες για έναν άντρα | — |
| 1967 | Το πιο λαμπρό αστέρι | Έρρικα |
| 1971 | Μαριχουάνα στοπ | Πωλίνα |
| 1971 | Μια Ελληνίδα στο χαρέμι | Μαρία |
| 1971 | Ο αρχιψεύταρος | Μαρίνα |
| 1972 | Το κοροϊδάκι της πριγκιπέσσας | Μαρία |
| 1973 | Η γυναικοκρατία | Ειρήνη |
| 1974 | ΟΚ, φίλε | κυρία Κόπλαν |
| 1974 | Σεξομανία | Λένα Σώτου |
| 1981 | Το ξένο είναι πιο γλυκό | Παυλίνα |
| 1989 | Ο πανταχού παρών | — |
Σχόλια