Katina Paxinou

Greek actress.

Born Katina Constantopoulos in Pireas?. Trained as an opera singer but changed career and joined the Greek National Theater in 1929. Paxinou distinguished herself on the stage. When World War II broke out she emigrated to the US. She was selected to play Pilar in the 1943 film of For Whom the Bell Tolls, winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. She continued appearing in Hollywood films until 1949. Returning to Greece in 1950, Paxinou resumed her stage career. She formed the Royal Theater of Athens with Alexis Minotis, her principal director and her husband since 1940. She contiued to accept occasional film roles until her death in Athens in 1973.