Thanos Samaras(I)
- Actor
- Director
- Writer
Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, after studying Art & Design at Guildhall University and after abandoning a bachelor's degree in Architecture at London Metropolitan University. He followed his training with an internship at Richard Foreman's avant-garde Ontological Theater in New York City and working with his acting coach and mentor, Actors Studio artistic director Elizabeth Kemp.
He was nominated for the Horn award for best newcomer in theater for his stage debut as Carl, in Sarah Kane's play Cleansed, directed by legendary Greek director Lefteris Voyatzis. Other stage credits include Trebliev in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, Oswald in Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, the title role in Janusz Glowacki's The Fourth Sister, Mira in Jens Diedrich's Des Tragischen Todes der Hexe Mira, Darren in Gary Owen's The Drowned World, Anton in Marius von Marienburg's Eldorado, Emil in Handl Klaus' Wilde, a.o
He is a member of the Hellenic Film Academy and has starred in several Greek feature films, like Tied Red Thread, Homeland (Best Actor nomination Hellenic Film Academy Awards, 2010 Venice Film Festival Settimana della Critica), Valse Sentimentale (Best Actor nomination Thessaloniki Film Festival), Delivery (in competition 2004 Venice Film Festival), Atlas, Athens Blues a.o. as well as short films like Pure Youth (in competition 2004 Venice Film Festival Corto Cortissimo) a.o.
His directorial debut, Dimitris Dimitriadis' The Annunciation of Cassandra (2018) opened to rave reviews and sold out shows and was lauded by the Greek press as one of the 10 best Greek theater productions of the decade. The following year he directed Chrysippus by Dimitris Dimitriadis, which opened the 2019 Athens Epidaurus Festival - Greece's most prestigious cultural organisation - to sold out shows and polarised reviews.
In all of his directing projects he also always designs the sets, costumes, lighting, sound and creates the publicity campaigns, as he also designed and photographed "The Greeks" and "Post Inferno" campaigns for the Onassis Foundation.
Best Actor nomination for his work as Stergios in Homeland (2010), at the Hellenic Film Academy Awards.
Best Actor nomination for his work as Stamatis in Valse Sentimentale (2007), at the Thessaloniki Film festival.
He was nominated for the Horn award for best newcomer in theater for his stage debut as Carl, in Sarah Kane's play Cleansed, directed by legendary Greek director Lefteris Voyatzis. Other stage credits include Trebliev in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull, Oswald in Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts, the title role in Janusz Glowacki's The Fourth Sister, Mira in Jens Diedrich's Des Tragischen Todes der Hexe Mira, Darren in Gary Owen's The Drowned World, Anton in Marius von Marienburg's Eldorado, Emil in Handl Klaus' Wilde, a.o
He is a member of the Hellenic Film Academy and has starred in several Greek feature films, like Tied Red Thread, Homeland (Best Actor nomination Hellenic Film Academy Awards, 2010 Venice Film Festival Settimana della Critica), Valse Sentimentale (Best Actor nomination Thessaloniki Film Festival), Delivery (in competition 2004 Venice Film Festival), Atlas, Athens Blues a.o. as well as short films like Pure Youth (in competition 2004 Venice Film Festival Corto Cortissimo) a.o.
His directorial debut, Dimitris Dimitriadis' The Annunciation of Cassandra (2018) opened to rave reviews and sold out shows and was lauded by the Greek press as one of the 10 best Greek theater productions of the decade. The following year he directed Chrysippus by Dimitris Dimitriadis, which opened the 2019 Athens Epidaurus Festival - Greece's most prestigious cultural organisation - to sold out shows and polarised reviews.
In all of his directing projects he also always designs the sets, costumes, lighting, sound and creates the publicity campaigns, as he also designed and photographed "The Greeks" and "Post Inferno" campaigns for the Onassis Foundation.
Best Actor nomination for his work as Stergios in Homeland (2010), at the Hellenic Film Academy Awards.
Best Actor nomination for his work as Stamatis in Valse Sentimentale (2007), at the Thessaloniki Film festival.
