Biography

Elena Nathanael (Greek: Έλενα Ναθαναήλ, January 19, 1947 – March 4, 2008) was a Greek film actress. Her impressively good looks got her noticed in the 1960s by producers and directors of the then-flourishing Greek cinema. She first appeared at the cinema, in the movie Kati na kaiei in 1964, directed by Giannis Dalianidis. Her second screen role was in 1965, in the German movie The Blood of the Walsungs, directed by Rolf Thiele and based on a Thomas Mann novel. A few more parts followed in Greek movies of the late sixties and in most of her roles she was featured as a spoilt rich girl. In 1968 she got the "Best Actress Award" in the International Thessaloniki Film Festival for her role in the movie Randevou me mia agnosti. In the early 1970s she established her screen persona as a free-spirited, beautiful young woman and became a fashion icon. The abrupt decline of the Greek commercial cinema during that decade had an unpleasant impact on her career which was something usual for the Greek film stars of the period. After a seven-year absence she made a comeback with a number of straight-to-video movies, usually light comedies. After that she faded away and she made only some special appearances. One of her roles worthy of her beauty and acting abilities was that of "Julia" in the hugely successful soap opera, Aggigma psyhis, in 1998. Her last appearance was the role of "Maya Hoover" in the popular TV series aired on Mega Channel, Gorgones, in 2007, and her return was warmly received by the audience .