Smaro Stefanidou was born in Smyrna, Asia Minor, on September 4, 1913, from Greek parents. She studied French, English, and piano, while from a very young age, she acted in plays and
performed for children. She graduated from the School of Commerce.
Secretly from her family, she worked in the mornings to fund her theatrical studies at the National Theatre Drama School.
After her graduation, she was hired by the great Greek actress Marika Kotopouli, who immediately entrusted her with major roles. Following a period with the Company of the Young and
Katerina Andreadi's company, she joined the troupe of Vasilis Logothetidis, with whom she remained until his death.
Subsequently, she collaborated with most theatrical troupes in Athens and performed a wide range of roles from the global repertoire, including quality revue and tragedy.
She worked with renowned figures such as Elli Lambeti, Dimitris Horn, Lambros Konstantaras, Yiannis Fertis, Xenia Kalogeropoulou, Aliki Vougiouklaki, Stefanos Linaios, Yiannis Gionakis,
Nikos Kourkoulos, Antonis Antypas, Kostas Karras, and many others.
A landmark in her career was her portrayal of Hecuba in Euripides’ Trojan Women, directed by Yiannis Tsarouchis.
From her marriage to the tragically deceased singer Vassos Seitanidis, she had a daughter, Leda.
Smaro Stefanidou holds a unique place in the history of Greek theatre. In 2003, together with her daughter, she created and supported Shantom House of Culture (the Smaro Stefanidou - Leda Shantala Cultural and Arts Center).
These pages are Smaro's "home," where you will find the most accurate information, drawn from her personal archive, as well as a wealth of rare photographs.
For a detailed biography, a list of performances, and videos, click here