She appeared as Dolly Sinatra in the mini-series of Frank Sinatra's life (1992). She leaned across the table, looked me dead in the eye and said, Loretta, do you love him? I squeaked out the prescribed response, Ma, I love him awful. She gently shook her head and said, Aw God, thats too bad. And with that she smiled, grabbed my hand and gave it a quick squeeze, demurely signaling the end of our time together. He has a degree in music and architecture and holds an MFA in filmmaking from NYU Tisch. [9], Prior to her film career, Dukakis began a decades-long stage life working in 1961 in productions at the Williamstown Summer Theater, in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts. By 1963, she had begun her career on screen. [36], Dukakis' final performance is as a judge in the 2021 film Not to Forget. Across that span, productions included the works of Euripides, Eugene O'Neill, Samuel Beckett, Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, and Lanford Wilson. Walter Mitty (2013) and 20th Century Fox in the films Epic (2013), Rio 2 (2014) and Ferdinand (2017). Ryan is based in New York City. Did you encounter any technical issues? She was 89 years old. Interestingly, it was her scene-stealing work on Broadway in the comedy "Social Security" (1986) that caught director Norman Jewison's eye and earned her the Moonstruck (1987) movie role. Olympia Dukakis, an Oscar-winning actress for her role in "Moonstruck," died Saturday in New York City. She also became a master instructor at New York University for fourteen years. He went on to score such films as the award-winning Diving Bell And The. Alexia Vassiliou is an award-winning multi-gold and platinum multi-genre conceptual international artist, songwriter, composer, and social activist. Returning to Western Massachusetts in 2013 for her last stage performance, she played Mother Courage in Mother Courage and Her Children at Shakespeare & Company, in Lenox, Massachusetts. Both are master interpreters of Chekhovian plays -- one of their more recent acting collaborations was in "The Chekhov Cycle" in 2003.Making an inauspicious debut in a bit role as a mental patient in Lilith (1964), she tended to gravitate toward off-the-wall films with various offshoots of the ethnic mother. No, no, I stammered, not of your face. Pamela has worked with innumerable clients bringing them to the next level and has established a respected reputation in doing so. Or her 1989 performance as one of the Steel Magnolias, a fitting title for a woman known for her winsome heart and yet resolute demeanor. After more than two decades of distinguished work in the US theatre as an actor, director and teacher, and appearances in a dozen or so films, Olympia Dukakis, who has died aged 89, became hugely famous overnight by winning the best supporting actress Oscar in 1988 for her performance as Chers mother in the romantic film Moonstruck (1987). He is an associate producer on the documentary feature Yankee Restraint, currently in production. This was underlined by Cloudburst (2011), a road movie in which Dukakis, as a self-styled old butch dyke, and her companion of 31 years (Brenda Fricker), take off from the US to Canada to get married. Olympia won an Academy Award for her performance in Moonstruck, a role that also earned her a Golden Globe Award, American Comedy Award, and the Los Angeles Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress. November 30, 1962 - January 30, 2018 (his death, 3 children), The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999). 1971: Sue Ane Langdon - Arnie. He had the privilege to work with Miss Dukakis again on the latest installment of Tales of the City in 2019 for Netflix where he was the Director of Photography forthe entire series. Dukakis. Her producing credit for documentary includes the feature "The Case of Josephine H." by the renowned Polish artist Izabella Gustowska which was released in the 2014 New Horizons International Film Festival and the short Suit Yourself showcased at 2012 My Hero Film Festival. Her character was the mother of Loretta Castorini, who was played by Cher, the Best Actress winner that year. I rapped on the door and heard her signature alto voice bellow, Its open! Tentatively crossing the threshold, I made my way down a narrow hallway. She appeared in more than 60 feature and short films, including Steel Magnolias, Cloudburst, Dad, Mr. Hollands Opus, Working Girl, Look Whos Talking I, II & III, Mighty Aphrodite, Jeffrey, Away From Her, among many others. Anthoulais thrilled to be an executive producer ofOlympia, a film about herinspiringmentor. A fourth version, Armistead Maupins Tales of the City, was streamed on Netflix in 2019. [35] It was released theatrically in the United States in July 2020. Anthoula Katsimatides is an actor, writer, producer, and voice-over artist. Playing characters like the flinty principal of Mr. [33][34], In 2018, Olympia, an American documentary film about her life and career, had its festival premiere at DOC NYC. The couple married in 1962 and cofounded The Whole Theatre Company in Montclair, New Jersey, running it from 1971 to 1990, according to IMDB. Angie Dix is an Emmy Award-winning American editor and producer working in the film and television world for more than 10 years. After years of regularly working in TV and theater, her "Moonstruck" success led to more big roles. The family has not disclosed an official cause of death. Oscar-winning actress Olympia Dukakis passed away on Saturday, May 1 at the age of 89 in New York City. The Crown star opens up about queerness. She played the role of Debby Marsh, an attorney. Olympia Dukakis, the Oscar-winning actress who brought beloved roles like Rose Castorini in Moonstruck and Clairee in Steel Magnolias to life, has died at the age of 89. Long a vital, respected thespian of the classic and contemporary stage, this grand lady did not become a household name and sought-after film actress until age 56 when she turned in a glorious, Oscar-winning performance as, Tales of the City: 20th Anniversary Collection. In one scene, she remains hostile until, alone in the hallway, she shrieks: Get that woman out of my house.. As Founder of INSPYRS PR she has a zest for attention to detail and encouraging others to "CREATE ~ SUSTAIN ~ INSPYRE". Dukakis, with that noodgy droll gleam, let you know the answer was both. He began his career in film in the publicity department of 20th Century Fox in New York. Should men act responsibly or were they put on Earth to be wolves? His on-screen work includes appearances in Steven Spielberg's The Post, Tamara Jenkins' Private Life and TV shows including Homeland, House of Cards, Godfather of Harlem and The Plot Against America. Id like to take a photograph of your hands. I always thought people's hands were the best barometer of the kind of life they had led. Her shoulders relaxed and she motioned for me to come alongside her. She had agreed to be interviewed for a graduate school research project I was conducting on the evolution of feminism. Macabre, hilarious and weirdly touching more or less sums up Ms Dukakiss performance, although a host of other adjectives might also be applied to her multihued portrait of a woman who has married and buried four husbands but cannot face the truth when the reaper comes to escort her from lifes banquet, reported a New York Times critic. by her passion for theatre work. She received three Emmy nominations for her editing work on the non-fiction series The Mind of a Chef (PBS, Netflix). Stern but perpetually amused, with a warm leer of a grin that could light up a scene, she looked like the comedy and tragedy masks fused together. Biography. Olympia Dukakis's brother Apollo confirmed her death in a Facebook post, noting that the actress had been dealing with health issues. Her Broadway theatre credits include Who's Who in Hell and Social Security. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Because of this part and several other gay-friendly ones, Dukakis became a hero of the LGBTQ+ movement. Another striking stage performance came in an off-Broadway production of Tennessee Williamss 1963 drama The Milk Train Doesnt Stop Here Anymore (2011), as the wealthy, dying gorgon Flora Goforth. Dukakis made her film debut as a patient in a mental hospital in Robert Rossens Lilith (1964). The first of her many mother parts came in Peter Yatess John and Mary (1969) seen briefly in flashback as Dustin Hoffmans mother. Film Festival and the short Suit Yourself showcased at 2012 My Hero Film Festival. In crafting his revealing bio-documentary Olympia, Greek American filmmaker Harry Mavromichalis had unprecedented access to Olympia, her family, and the story of her life. Susan Dey - The Partridge Family. He went on to score such films as the award-winning Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007), Sony Pictures The Other Boleyn Girl (2008), Oliver Stones W (2008), New York, I Love You (2009), Tony Goldwyns Conviction (2010), Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has To Travel (2011), Woody Allen: A Documentary (2012), and most recently Jane Fonda in Five Acts (2018). Among the actors performing with Dukakis and her husband were Jos Ferrer, Colleen Dewhurst, Blythe Danner, and Samuel L. He has also served 10 years on the Board of Directors of Marvel Entertainment until its sale to Disney in 2009, as well as the boards of FIND (Film Independent) and University of California, Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive and San Franciscos SF FILM. She was a Founding member and Producing Artistic Director of the Whole Theatre in Montclair, NJ, for 19 years; also a founding member of the Actors Company and the Charles Playhouse in Boston. From rebelling against her overbearing Greek mother to starting her own theatre company, Mavromichalis reveals both the public and private aspects of a woman who faced obstacle after obstacle as she learned how to be comfortable in her own skin and live life with blazing courage. 2023 Cable News Network. Feed one more bite of my food to your dogs, old man, and Ill kick you to death, she tells her father-in-law at the dinner table. And then just as quickly, threaded her fingers together as if in prayer. I wanna hit it hard! Not long after her arrival in New York City, she won an Obie Award for Best Actress in 1963 for her off-Broadway performance in Bertolt Brecht's Man Equals Man. When you love em, they drive you crazy. Her first experience as a theatre producer was for Opa! 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Richard Dreyfuss and Olympia Dukakisin Mr Holland's Opus. She performed in more than 130 stage productions, more than 60 films and in 50 television series. Dukakis graduated from Boston University, and moved to New York City, where she taught at NYU while auditioning for parts. She scored theater triumphs in "A Man's a Man," for which she won an Off-Broadway Obie Award in 1962; several productions of "The Cherry Orchard" and "Mother Courage"; "Six Characters in Search of an Author"; "The Rose Tattoo"; "The Seagull"; "The Marriage of Bette and Boo" (another Obie Award); and, more notably, her many performances as the title role in "Hecuba." In 2000, Dukakis appeared in London at the National Theatre in Rose, a monologue written for her by Martin Sherman. Having long established herself as a respected stage actress and veteran performer in dozens of film and television projects, Olympia Dukakis achieved overnight stardom at the tender age of 56 with her Oscar-winning portrayal in "Moonstruck" (1987). [12], With her husband, Louis Zorich, and with other acting couples, she co-founded the Whole Theater Company. . CBS News . [3] Her parents were Greek immigrants; her father a refugee from Anatolia and her mother from the Peloponnese. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much She won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for the role. "My beloved sister, Olympia Dukakis, passed away this morning in New York City," he wrote. But what did it take for her to achieve this success? Olympia Dukakis attends the premiere of "Tales Of The City" at The Metrograph in New York City on June 3, 2019. [45] She was a figure on the lecture circuit discussing topics such as women living with chronic illness, life in the theater, the environment, and feminism. Within a few steps, I found myself in her kitchen. Somehow, I wasntsurprised. John Ryan Johnsonis an Award-winning commercial director and filmmaker. Harry has dual citizenship from the United States and Cyprus. Olympia Dukakis, the dry-witted stage and screen actress who toiled under the radar for nearly 30 years before becoming a household name with her scene-stealing turn as the indomitable matriarch . Her agent, Allison Levy, also confirmed her death to CNN. Olympia Dukakis, who died on May 1 at 89, had a face like no one else's. Stern but perpetually amused, with a warm leer of a grin that could light up a scene, she looked like the comedy and . As if by reflex, she clenched her hands into two fists and placed them on top of her thighs. In 1998, she starred as Charlotte Kiszko in the British TV drama A Life for a Life: The True Story of Stefan Kiszko (ITV), based on the actual story of a man wrongfully imprisoned for seventeen years for the murder of a child, Lesley Molseed, after police suppressed evidence of his innocence. Dukakis introduced her cousin at the 1988 Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, and also served as a delegate-at-large. A finalist for New Director of the Year at the 2016 shots Awards in London and winner of Best Test Commercial in North America at the 2015 Young Director Award in Cannes, Ryan's commercial direction has also received international acclaim from Porsche, Ciclope, and W3. You could easily have envisioned her as the shrink on The Sopranos but then, with a nudge, it wouldnt be hard to imagine her as Tony Sopranos mother, since even in the quaintest settings Olympia Dukakis had a stealth power and an old-world comfortableness with the dark side. All Rights Reserved. Should marriage be everyday drudgery or moonstruck craziness? Long a vital, respected thespian of the classic and contemporary stage, this grand lady did not become a household name and sought-after film actress until age 56 when she turned in a glorious, Oscar-winning performance as Cher 's sardonic mother in the romantic comedy Moonstruck (1987). 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In the early 90s, Paul formed the eclectic band, Wild Colonials, with the singer, Angela, McCluskey, recording two albums for Geffen Records and performing with such artists. Louis died in 2018, and she is survived by their three children, Christina, Stefan and Peter, four grandchildren and her brother, Apollo. Laura Linney, left, and Olympia Dukakis in More Tales of the City, 1998. Birth Place:Lowell, Massachusetts, United States. The lioness of Lowell. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Greek America Foundation, the National Arts Club Medal of Honor, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. [25], In 2008, Dukakis directed the world premiere production of Todd Logan's "Botanic Garden" at Victory Gardens Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Featuring interviews with Laura Linney, Whoopi Goldberg, Diane Ladd, Lainie Kazan and Armistead Maupin, Olympiaseamlessly blends past and present culminating on the steps of the Dukakis' humble ancestral home in Lesbos, Greece where we see Olympia's life come full circle. Harrys directing and producing credits include Olympia; the award-winning, critically-acclaimed feature documentary on Academy Award-winning actress Olympia Dukakis and Yankee Restraint; a character driven piece that examines the intricacies of a gay relationship spanning decades and tackles issues of love and resentment. Olympia Dukakis, the veteran stage and screen actress whose flair for maternal roles helped her win an Oscar as Cher's mother in the romantic comedy "Moonstruck," has died. Dukakis was a longtime stage actress, but she broke into the Hollywood mainstream at the age of 56 when she portrayed Cher's mother in the 1987 classic romantic comedy "Moonstruck." This work is among more than 40 other series, mini-series and guest starring roles she accumulated over her long career. It was to play the great parts." According to The Hollywood Reporter, the pair met while auditioning for an off-Broadway play. Looking up from her plate of scrambled eggs she purred, Want some, darlin'?. [31], In 2018, Dukakis starred in Eleftheromania, which follows an Auschwitz survivor as she recites a true story about a group from the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. With a career spanning thirty years, and 45recorded albumin the United States, Europeand Greece,Alexia changed Greek record sales history with her series of gold and platinum albums for CBS-Columbia, Air Music, Polygram, Universal Music, BMG, and Sony Music Internationalin the genres of Pop, Jazz, Improvisation/ Experimental, Worldand Film Music. In 2003, Dukakis published her autobiography, Ask Me Again Tomorrow: A Life in Progress, in which she wrote of her support of feminism and environmental causes, and her support for the Democratic party, with candour and humour. Her Best Supporting Actress Oscar statuette was stolen from her home The matriarch of a dysfunctional New York Italian family, Dukakis depiction of the complexities of motherhood and marriage are as gritty as they are heartwarmingly relatable. She was nominated for the Canadian Academy Award for The Event (2003) and in the middle of the first decade of the 21st century, her roles included 3 Needles, The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines, In the Land of Women, and Away From Her, the 2006 film which cast her alongside Gordon Pinsent as the spouses of two Alzheimer's patients.