Irene Papas, the majestic Greek Zorba actress, dies at 96

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Greek-born actress Irene Papas, famous for her fiery appearances in the internationally acclaimed "Zorba the Greek" and "The Message", died Wednesday at the age of 96.

In a statement, Greece's Culture Minister Lina Mendoni described Papas as "majestic" and "the personification of Greek beauty on the cinema screen and theatre stage."

Papas had suffered from Alzheimer's Disease and had been frail for some time. Papas had said in a 2003 interview with Greek daily Eleftherotypia that fame had brought her nothing. 

She added that "in contrast, it destroyed my private life. Because the person who will approach me, let's say sexually, has already fallen in love with my image."

Papas revealed a secret in 2004 when she told Italy's Corriere Della Sera daily that she and Marlon Brando "had a love story" back in the 1950s.

The actress lived her final years near Anthen's Acropolis where she was cared for by her niece.

The Message

Irene Papas was among the cast of the landmark movie, The Message, directed by Moustapha Akkad. Akkad was a Syrian-born director of the first Arab film about Islam, The Message (1976), to be Hollywood-produced and directed by Arabs. The movie is considered a quality landmark production highlighting the history of Islam. Akkad died in 2005 in an Al-Qaeda attack in Amman, Jordan.

In addition to Papas, the movie starred celebrities like Michael Ansara, Andre Morell, Michael Forest, Johnny Sekka, and Anthony Quinn.