His favourite Greek word is 'Matia mou'
and the person who brings the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece
would be his nomination for a Nobel Prize...
20 Question Time... Global Greek Style
and the person who brings the Parthenon Marbles back to Greece
would be his nomination for a Nobel Prize...
20 Question Time... Global Greek Style
with one of our wonderfully accomplished and talented - and good looking - Global Greek Ambassadors in the World,
Hollywood actor, writer, traveller
Thaao Penghlis
Emmy nominated star of so many of our favourite TV series,
Mission Impossible, Days of our Lives,
Santa Barbara and General Hospital
Hollywood actor, writer, traveller
Thaao Penghlis
Emmy nominated star of so many of our favourite TV series,
Mission Impossible, Days of our Lives,
Santa Barbara and General Hospital
20 Question Time... Global Greek Style
Hellenism is…
The Classical age of Greece and the
immortal work contributed to all aspects of life that escaped all human limits.
Did your Hellenism help get you where you are? How?
At first it was a hindrance but because it lay at my
core, perseverance won out and surfaced at the right time and found its true path.
Being Greek: Best Part…
Passion.
Being Greek: Worst part…
Pride
Greeks who inspire(d) you…
Cavafy,
Seferis,
Seferis,
Melina
Mercouri
and
and
the Greeks who freed us from the bloody Ottomans.
Greeks you like...
Those who fight corruption and Greed.
Greeks you don’t like…
The ones with deep pockets
and
cab drivers.
and
cab drivers.
Your favourite Greek word…
Matia mou.
Your favourite Greek spot in the world…
Santorini and
the Acropolis.
Your favourite Greek song…
Thalasaki mou.
Your favourite Greek meal… Who cooked it?
Moussaka.
Me.
Your favourite Greek book…
Homer’s Odyssey.
Your happiest Greek memory …
Having succeeded in
Hollywood and my father with tears in his eyes calling me “His Levendi.”
Your saddest Greek memory…
My parents dying in the same
week.
Global Greeks at the Nobels - Who would you nominate? Why?
The
one who brings back the Parthenon Marbles.
You meet the Prime Minister of Greece on the beach
this summer… What would you tell him?
Get rid of corruption
and
listen to the cries of the poor.
and
listen to the cries of the poor.
You are the Prime Minister of Greece …for a week!
What three things would you do first?
Start bringing back the tourists, by re-creating a
huge ad campaign for Greece as the great hot spot of the world thereby helping
the job market.
Expose those Greeks with deep pockets and have them use
the money to feed the poor and support low rent housing.
Have the rich pay the taxes they have evaded for years with big fines and spread education.
You’re one of our several million Global Greeks who
are Greece’s Ambassadors in the World. Public Diplomacy at its best! Have you done something to help Greece today?
My book
‘PLACES’ comes out this summer where I argue about the Parthenon Marbles
and their rightful place and using my platform as an actor, to always elaborate
the influence of my Greek heritage.
Who would you include in a ‘Global Greeks for Greece’
Dream Team?
The
memory of Melina Mercouri and what she stood for.
Elisabeth Fotiadou (Greek Consul in Los Angeles)
and
members of the rebellious youth that want to bring Greece into the 21st Century.
Elisabeth Fotiadou (Greek Consul in Los Angeles)
and
members of the rebellious youth that want to bring Greece into the 21st Century.
And now for the best part…
Create a picture of YOUR Greece …
what would you put in it?
Create a picture of YOUR Greece …
what would you put in it?
All the looted art that was stolen by the Germans,
French and the English since the 19thC and house them in the new Archaeological
Museum in Athens.
Get rid of those illegal immigrants who are changing the face of Greece and bringing their illegal forms of life back where they found them.
Clean up the drugs on the streets that have created so many crimes I never experienced in my youth.
Open schools for orphans to educate and nourish what is not at their disposal.
Equality.
Get rid of those illegal immigrants who are changing the face of Greece and bringing their illegal forms of life back where they found them.
Clean up the drugs on the streets that have created so many crimes I never experienced in my youth.
Open schools for orphans to educate and nourish what is not at their disposal.
Equality.
Thank you Thaao - It has been a real pleasure to talk to you! Good luck with the book sales!
Ευχαριστούμε πολύ!
Ευχαριστούμε πολύ!
More about Thaao
Not surprising really, since Thaao was born to Greek immigrant parents and raised in one of the furthest corners of our Global Greek World, Sydney, Australia. Thaao spent his early days as a young career diplomat, working with the immigration service to help Greek immigrants who were seeking Australian citizenship. He trained for three years to become involved in the Diplomatic Corps, but gradually realized that his whole life centered around Greek happenings, so he took a leave of absence to find his own identity and went to work for the UN in New York. There he met another Global Greek, teacher and director Milton Katselas who inspired him to pursue an acting career. Thaao quit his job at the UN, worked as an apprentice art dealer during the day and studied acting at night and when Milton moved to Los Angeles to set up his studio and school at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, Thaao went too, appearing in many productions in Los Angeles and in New York and built up an impressive filmography over the coming years.
The world got to know him in many TV roles - among the most notable as Nicholas Black in Mission Impossible, as Victor Cassadine on General Hospital and Count Anthony DiMera on Days Of Our Lives - roles which kept him on the popularity charts for many years. In 2014, his many fans got the chance to see Victor Cassadine again on General Hospital after 30 years, when he was finally called back by ABC.
In addition to his busy acting career, Thaao continues to be the traveller and adventurer he has always been. He has taken many tours through his ancestral Greece - the photo above is from a recent trip to the Meteora monastery - and to one of his favourite spots - Mt. Sinai in Egypt. He has investigated some of the world’s most sacred sites, travelled through the jungles of the Amazon, and throughout the Middle
East. His book,
‘Places, Journeys of My Days, My Lives.’ published in July this year, recalls some of those perilous journeys for us.
One of his recent starring roles was in the film ‘TheGreen Story,’ about the life and success story of another of our Global Greeks, Greek American Van Vlahakis and his mission to transform not only HIS life but also the lives of those around him, as the owner and CEO of Earth Friendly Products. He also continues to star in many stage and television shows as well as performing his one-man show called ‘Journeys' a great backdrop for his book.
‘Places, Journeys of My Days, My Lives.’ published in July this year, recalls some of those perilous journeys for us.
One of his recent starring roles was in the film ‘TheGreen Story,’ about the life and success story of another of our Global Greeks, Greek American Van Vlahakis and his mission to transform not only HIS life but also the lives of those around him, as the owner and CEO of Earth Friendly Products. He also continues to star in many stage and television shows as well as performing his one-man show called ‘Journeys' a great backdrop for his book.
Thaao has made his permanent home in the hills of Los Angeles, California. Like many of our Global Greeks, Thaao is equally at home in Australia, Greece or the USA and comfortable anywhere life takes him - a real citizen of the world.
Update 1 December 2014:
Delighted to announce that Thaao has generously offered us a couple of copies of his latest book 'Places: The Journey of My Days, My Lives' as prizes! To qualify for one of the copies which will be drawn on New Year's Eve, please leave a comment on this 20 Question Time...Global Greek Style Conversation with Thaao post.
Oh and don't forget to 'like' Places: The Journey of My Days, My Lives by Thaao Penghlis and Global Greek World on Facebook too!
Ευχαριστούμε Πολύ, Thaao!
At Global Greek World, We ♥ Greece...and it shows!
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All Rights Reserved
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Thaoo is my favorite actor:-) Thank you for the interview...
ReplyDeleteWe think he's great too! :)
DeleteMy Dearest Thaao ! Kali Mera !
DeleteMy Dearest Thaao ! Kali Mera ! It would be heavenly to be the Lucky one winning a copy of your book "Places"! i read the 20- Question Interwiu and found that I shared Your opinion at 100% ! How tender and lovely Your favorit greek words are " MATIA MOU!" You are a very Warmhearted and Generous Man With Many skilles and deep interests ! OOOOO&XXXXX with LOL , Your devoted Swedish Friend Anne (Nne) L.
DeleteCongratulations Aspasie! You are our winner. Please email us your address so that the book can be sent to you! Happy New Year! :)
DeleteI really enjoy the poetry of C.P. Cavafy; and I had not been familiar with the poet until I first heard Thaao recite part of the poem in his one-man show JOURNEYS (Cape May, NJ) which was a pre-cursor to the recent show he just did in LA this year. The poem of "Ithaka" perfectly captures the spirit of Thaao's passion for travel, history and adventure; as well as all the different tales in his book, "Places". -- Hope the voyage is a long one!
ReplyDeleteLaurie Baker outtakesinterviews@yahoo.com
Thanks Laurie! Is there a video or recording available of the reading?
Deletei love Georgioupolis.
ReplyDeleteThanks Richard! Wonder if Thaao has been to Georgioupolis? :)
DeleteLove these questions and Thaao's thoughtful, insightful answers. Thank you for showing us a different side to this great being.
ReplyDeleteThaao's passion for life and living and the pride he takes in his work and play have taught me so much about the marvelous Greek spirit and enormous love for family and country. With his warmth and vast knowledge of faraway lands and peoples, his book allowed me to journey PLACES I may never actually visit, but with his guiding voice and spirit, I feel that I all ready have.
May the journey last for years...
I have been a fan of Thaao's since he first appeared on Days of Our Lives. But it's his friendship that has developed over the years that I cherish most. I was fortunate to see both his Journeys presentation in Cape May and his recent one man show PLACES at the Beverly Hills Playhouse where it all started for him. Thaao is a magical storyteller who has a commanding presence that grabs the audience and holds them spellbound from beginning to end. Thaao has a very generous spirit which he shares with his fans everyday. He has taken me PLACES I've never been and has taught me history lessons far richer than any class I've ever had. Thank you Thaao for making a difference.
DeleteThaao is my favorite actor! He is a wonderful and smart person!
ReplyDeleteΚάλι χρόνια !
ReplyDelete