Aliki Vougiouklaki

Aliki Vougiouklaki, born Aliki Stamatina Vougiouklaki on 20 July 1934, remains one of Greece’s most beloved cultural icons, often hailed as the country’s "National Star." Her journey began in 1950 when she secretly auditioned for the National Theatre’s Drama School, graduating with honors three years later. She made her stage debut in 1953 as Louison in Molière’s *The Imaginary Invalid*, and her first film role came in 1954 with *The Little Mouse*.

In 1960, she earned the Best Actress award at the inaugural Thessaloniki Film Festival for her role in *Maddalena*, directed by Dinos Dimopoulos. That same film represented Greece at the Cannes International Film Festival, earning acclaim. Her 1959 film *The Slapping Came Out of Paradise* also screened at Cannes.

Vougiouklaki formed her own theatre troupe in 1961, staging *My Fair Lady* in Thessaloniki. The following year, she produced *Caesar and Cleopatra* with music by Manos Hadjidakis, though audiences resisted her dark-haired portrayal of Cleopatra, leading to an early closure. Despite this, she achieved massive success with works like *Beating Heart in the Chair* (1962) and *Pass the First of the Month* (1963).

Seeking international fame, she starred in the English-language film *Aliki My Love* (1964), but it underperformed. She then partnered with Filopoimenas Finos and Finos Film, creating legendary box-office hits such as *Astero*, *Lieutenant Natasha*, and *The Blonde Teacher*. *Lieutenant Natasha* held the record for Greece’s highest-grossing film for three decades. Vougiouklaki passed away on 23 July 1996, just three months after