# Michael Giannatos

Michalis Giannatos (Greek: Μιχάλης Γιαννάτος; 11 July 1941 – 17 September 2013), alternatively spelled as Michael Yannatos, was a Greek actοr.
Ηe was born in (Konstantinoupoli), Turkey. He left the city for Greece in 1964 during the long expulsion of Istanbul Greeks.

## Career

He studied in Konstantinos Demopoulos' school of drama and first appeared as a professional actor in Georgios Zervoulakos' film Oi stigmatismenoi (Greek: Οι στιγματισμένοι) in 1966. When still a student, he participated in the theatrical play Capetan Michalis (Greek: Καπετάν Μιχάλης) next to Manos Katrakis.
During his long cinematic career, he appeared in close to 100 films, television series and plays. He was a regular in Theodoros Angelopoulos films since he was one of the director's favorite actors. After Megalexandros (Greek: Μεγαλέξανδρος) in 1981, Angelopoulos was always calling him to play in his movies.
He was fluent in five languages; Greek, Turkish, French, Italian and Spanish. Due to that, he appeared in many international productions, including Midnight Express, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Munich and more. He worked next to great actors such as Anthony Quinn, John Hurt, Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, Christian Bale, Eric Bana and Daniel Craig.
He also played in the film A Touch of Spice [Greek title: Politiki kouzina (Greek: Πολίτικη Κουζίνα)] by Tassos Boulmetis and in the European co-production Le Dernier Seigneur des Balkans.

## Personal life

Giannatos was married to Chaido whom he was with until the day he died. They have three children together; Gerasimos (born in 1979), Ioannis (born in 1980) and Maria (born in 1982).
Since 1979, when his first son was born, Giannatos was working night shifts as a receptionist at the Hotel Caravel. He needed the job so he could take care of his family, while at the same time he was working as an actor every time he had the chance. His son Gerasimos said: "His main job was receptionist. With that job we made it through. He was working from 1979 when I was born till 1996 as a receptionist".
In an interview to Giannis Kasapis in 2012, Giannatos said that he loved classical music: "Classical music is the crown of music. Let me tell you how I first loved it. At my school in Constantinople I had an Italian classmate who asked me if I had ever heard classical music. I said no and she invited me to her house. She played one of Chopin's Polonaises...I froze! I heard them all! Since then I became a devotee". Giannatos also stated that he was hearing Greek songs as well, Stelios Kazantzidis and rebetiko, and sometimes even flamenco, tango or csárdás. In the same interview he said that he loved the three ancient Greek tragedians – Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides – and of course Aristophanes. Also Hemingway and Agatha Christie.

## Death

Giannatos died on 17 September 2013 at the age of 72 due to a heart attack, while watching a football match with friends. As his son said, no one of his friends realized that he was gone, till the moment someone called him and he didn't respond.
The Greek Minister of Culture and Sports expressed his condolence to Giannatos family while stating: "Michalis Giannatos was an exquisite actor who played in many important Greek, but also foreign, movies. But he was also one of those artists and, deep down, one of those people who are proving every day that it's not necessary to have the main part of a movie to be a protagonist".

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1966 | Oi stigmatismenoi | | First appearance as a professional actor |
| 1968 | I Arhontissa kai o Alitis | Bus Conductor | Translated: The Lady and the Tramp |
| 1969 | Ta Dio Podia Se Ena...Papoutsi! | | Translated: Two Legs in One...Shoe! |
| 1969 | To...Thima | Stellas | Translated: The...Victim |
| 1971 | Ti Ekanes ston Polemo Thanasi? | Italian officer | Translated: What Were You Doing at the War Thanasis? |
| 1971 | I Kori tou Iliou | Turkish Soldier | Translated: The Daughter of the Sun |
| 1971 | Enas Xenoiastos Palaviaris | Man at the funeral | Translated: A Carefree Fool |
| 1973 | O Tsarlatanos | Patroklos | Translated: The Charlatan |
| 1973 | Oi Polemistai tis Eirinis | Soldier Kotsoglou | Translated: The Warriors of Peace |
| 1973 | O Anthropos pou Etreche Poli | Lefteris Zevedaios | Translated: The Man Who Ran a Lot |
| 1973 | Diktator kalei...Thanasi | | Translated: The Dictator is Calling...Thanasis |
| 1975 | Bounzaka ala...Ellinika! | Panagos | Translated: Bounzaka in...Greek! |
| 1976 | O Thanasis sti Chora tis Sfaliaras | Panagos | Translated: Thanasis in the Land of Slap |
| 1976 | Elliniki Ipothesi | | Translated: The Greek Affair |
| 1978 | The Greek Tycoon | Man on Tomasis's Boat | Uncredited |
| 1978 | Midnight Express | Court Translator | USA |
| 1978 | O Ilios tou Thanatou | Confiscator | Uncredited Translated: The Sun of Death |
| 1978 | 1922 | | |
| 1978 | A Walk in the Sun | Waitor | Sweden & Greece Original title: En Vandring I Solen Language: English & Swedish |
| 1979 | Ta Paidia tis Piatsas | Baker | Translated: The Kids of the Piazza |
| 1979 | O Palavos Kosmos tou Thanasi | | Translated: The Crazy World of Thanasis |
| 1980 | Megalexandros | Dragoumanos | Translated: Alexander the Great |
| 1980 | Vengos, O Trelos Kamikazi | Markos Tamtikos | Translated: Vengos, the Crazy Kamikaze |
| 1980 | Geusi Apo Ellada | Vangelis | Translated: Taste From Greece |
| 1982 | Aggelos | Gas man | Translated: Angel |
| 1982 | To fragma | Chemist | Translated: The Dam |
| 1982 | To Aima ton Agalmaton | | Translated: The Blood of the Statues |
| 1982 | Sti Zougkla tis Athinas/Taxidi stin Protevousa | Spiros | Translated: In Athens' Jungle/Journey to the City |
| 1982 | I Strophi | Turkish officer | Translated: Turning point |
| 1983 | H Pareksigisi | | Translated: The Misunderstanding |
| 1983 | Psosoxi, Kindinos! | Michalis | Translated: Caution, Danger! |
| 1983 | Ipogeia Diadromi | | Translated: Underground Route |
| 1983 | Kamikazi Agapi mou | Fotiou | Translated: Kamikaze my Love |
| 1984 | Taxidi sta Kithira | Harbor Master | Translated: Voyage to Cythera |
| 1984 | The Next One | Captain | USA |
| 1985 | Bordelo | Giavasoglou | |
| 1986 | The Two Faces of January | Nikos | |
| 1986 | O Melissokomos | | Translated: The Beekeeper |
| 1987 | Pretty Smart | The Turk | USA |
| 1987 | O Efialtis | | Translated: The Nightmare |
| 1987 | The Wind | Policeman | USA |
| 1987 | Chamos sto Aigaleo City | Prison guard | Translated: Chaos at Aigaleo City |
| 1988 | Gemini – The Twin Stars | 1st policeman | Switzerland Language: English |
| 1988 | Topio stin Omixli | Train station guardian | Translated: Landscape in the Mist |
| 1988 | O Fakelos Polk Ston Aera | | Translated: The Polk File on Air |
| 1989 | The Serpent of Death | Greek policeman | USA |
| 1989 | Athos I Enoxos | | Translated: Innocent Or Guilty |
| 1989 | Ipastinomos Thanasis | | Translated: Police Lieutenant Thanasis |
| 1990 | I Ekdikisi tou Patera | Moustafa Ali, Turkish drug dealer | Translated: Father's Revenge |
| 1990 | Ante Geia | Buffet waiter | Translated: Take care |
| 1991 | To Meteoro Vima tou Pelargou | Shopkeeper | Translated: The Meteor Step of the Stork |
| 1991 | O Drapetis | Shadow theater performer | Translated: Master of the Shadows |
| 1992 | To daxtilidi | | Short The Ring |
| 1994 | I Zoi Einai sto Dromo | | Short Life is in the Street |
| 1995 | Tranzito | | |
| 1995 | Someone Else's America | Greek agent | USA |
| 1995 | Ulysses' Gaze | Albanian Film Library Manager | Uncredited |
| 1995 | O Hamenos Thisauros tou Hoursit Pasa | | Translated: The Lost Treasure of Hoursit Pasha |
| 1995 | Isa Mori Hamoura | | Short |
| 1996 | Me ton Orfea ton Augousto | Pantelis | Translated: With Orpheus in August |
| 1998 | Eternity and a Day | Ticket Inspector | USA |
| 1999 | America | | Short |
| 1999 | O Anthos tis Limnis | Hasan | Translated: The Flower of the Lake |
| 2001 | Captain Corelli's Mandolin | Kokolios | USA |
| 2001 | To Kalokairi tis Annas | Sales man | Translated: Anna's Summer |
| 2002 | Katalathos Astinomikos | | TV movie Translated: Policeman by Accident |
| 2002 | I Fouska | Uncle | Translated: The Bubble |
| 2002 | Alexandros kai Aishe | | Translated: Alexander and Aishe |
| 2003 | Skipper Straad | | Short |
| 2003 | Politiki kouzina | Grandpa's friend | English title: A Touch of Spice |
| 2003 | Sto Hani | Kara Alis | Translated: To the Inn |
| 2004 | Trilogia 1: To Livadi Pou Dakrizei | Zisis | Translated: Trilogy: The Weeping Meadow |
| 2005 | Hotel Asteria | Giorgos | TV movie |
| 2005 | To Oneiro tou Ikarou | Old Gypsy | Translated: Icarus' Dream |
| 2005 | Opa! | Hector | |
| 2005 | One in a Million | Old man | USA Short |
| 2005 | Munich | Hotel Aristides Porter | USA |
| 2005 | My Family and Other Animals | Porter / Waitor | UK TV movie |
| 2006 | o etsi | | |
| 2007 | Koroido en'taxei' | Aimilios Roukounas | Translated: All Right Sucker |
| 2008 | Oi Prasines, Oi Kokkines, Oi Thalassies Oi Tsouhtres | | TV movie Translated: The Green, The Red, The Blue Jellyfish |
| 2008 | O Ilias tou 16ou | Manos | Translated: Ilias of 16th |
| 2011 | Nisos 2: To kynigi tou hamenou thisavrou | Sifnios | |
| 2011 | Einai trelloi autoi oi Ellines | | |
| 2012 | A Green Story | Grandfather | |
| 2012 | Dead Europe | Hotel manager | UK Uncredited |
| 2012 | Lost Monument | | Short |
| 2012 | O Anthropos pou Taize ton Iskio tou | Roland | Short Translated: The Man Who Was Feeding His Shadow (final film role) |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1971 | Proti grammi | | Translated: Forefront |
| 1974 | Alithines Istories | | Translated: True Stories |
| 1983 | I Kiria Doremi | Ship's bartender | Translated: Mrs Doremi |
| 1984 | The First Olympics: Athens 1896 | Eleni's father | TV mini-series |
| 1991 | I Agapi tis Gatas | Moustafas | Translated: The Cat's love |
| 1992 | Oi Frouroi tis Achaias | Kir Michalis | Translated: Achaias' Gurdians |
| 1992 | Epikindines Sxeseis | Markos | Translated: Dangerous Relationships |
| 1993 | Casa Di Macaroni | Vasilis | |
| 1994 | To Asimenio Dinario | | Translated: The Silver Dinar |
| 1995 | Stras | | |
| 1996 | Sofia...Orthi | Mr. Tolis | Episode 13 Translated: Sofia...upright |
| 1998 | I Aithousa tou Thronou | Policeman | Episode 1.2 Translated: The Throne Room |
| 1998 | I Zoi Pou Den Ezisa | Thomas | Translated: The Life I Didn't Live |
| 1999 | Egklimata | Butcher | Episode 1.2 Translated: Crimes |
| 1999 | Thimata Eirinis | | Episodes 1.1 & 1.15 Translated: Victims of Peace |
| 2000–2001 | Kokkinos Kiklos | Mitsos/Bambis/Kafetzis | Episode: Episkeptis Episode: To Telos Tou Paixnidiou (Mitsos) Episode: Stin Tixi (Bambis) Episode: Chronia Polla (Kafetzis) Translated: Red Circle |
| 2001 | Eisai to Tairi Mou | Giorgis | Episode 1.8 Translated: You Are My Soulmate |
| 2004 | Voitheia Geitonoi | | Translated: Neighbors, help |
| 2004 | Efta Thanasimes Petheres | | Translated: Seven Deadly Mother-In-Laws |
| 2004 | Archipelagos | | Translated: Archipelago |
| 2004 | Ta Paidia tis Niovis | Kadis | Translated: Niovis' kids |
| 2005 | Peninta-Peninta | Turkish officer | Episode 2.1 Translated: Fifty-Fifty |
| 2005 | Le dernier seigneur des Balkans (O Teleutaios Arxontas ton Valkanion) | | TV mini-series (4 episodes) History France/Greece/Poland/Spain/Bulgaria Language: French |
| 2007 | Mia Stigmi, Dio Zoes | Anestis | Translated: One Moment, Two Lives |
| 2007–2008 | Maria, i Aschimi | Niketas | Translated: Ugly Maria |