Andreas Voutsinas facts for kids

Andreas Voutsinas (Greek: Ανδρέας Βουτσινάς; 22 August 1930 – 8 June 2010) was a talented actor and theater director. He was born in Sudan and had Greek roots. Many people in English-speaking countries knew him best from his roles in three funny Mel Brooks movies. These films were The Producers (1967), The Twelve Chairs (1970), and History of the World, Part I (1981).

Life and Career

Andreas Voutsinas was born on August 22, 1930, in Khartoum, which is in Sudan. At that time, many Greek families lived in Sudan. His parents came from the Greek island of Kefalonia. They owned a pasta factory there.

After WWII, Andreas and his mother moved to Athens, Greece. He loved acting and learning about costumes. He studied at the Old Vic School and the Webber Douglas Academy in London. In 1957, he joined the famous Actors Studio in New York.

Andreas Voutsinas directed over 130 plays! He worked in many big cities like London, Paris, New York, and also in Canada and Greece. He acted and directed on Broadway, which is famous for its plays. He also acted in movies by well-known directors like Jules Dassin and Luc Besson.

For many years, Andreas worked with Elia Kazan, who helped start The Actors Studio. Later, he met the actress Jane Fonda. He directed her in his first Broadway play, The Fun Couple, in 1963.

Andreas then went to Hollywood with Jane Fonda to help her with her movie roles. He became a coach for many other famous actors, including Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty. He later moved to Paris and started his own acting workshop called Le Theatre Des Cinquante. It was based on the ideas of Lee Strasberg, a famous acting teacher. Many French actors learned from him, and he also directed many successful plays in France.

In 1968, Andreas Voutsinas played the role of Carmen Ghia in The Producers. He became friends with Anne Bancroft, who was Mel Brooks's wife. She thought he would be perfect for the part! He also acted in another Mel Brooks movie, History of the World, Part I, where he played "Bernaise" in the French Revolution scenes.

In the early 1980s, Andreas moved to Greece, his family's home country. He continued directing plays there, from classic Greek tragedies by Euripides to modern plays by Tennessee Williams. He often worked for the State Theater of Northern Greece in Thessaloniki. His plays were also shown at big summer events like the Athens Festival and the Epidaurus Festival.

From 2002 to 2009, Andreas Voutsinas taught acting at the State Theatre of Northern Greece. After a health issue, he started his own drama school in Thessaloniki, called Superior Drama School Andreas Voutsinas.

Death

Andreas Voutsinas passed away on June 8, 2010, at the age of 79. He died from a respiratory tract infection after being in the hospital in Athens.

Filmography

Movies

• The Producers (1967) - Carmen Ghia
• Histoires extraordinaires (1968) - A Courtier (segment "Metzengerstein") (uncredited)
• Fräulein Doktor (1969)
• The Twelve Chairs (1970) - Nikolai Sestrin
• Un peu, beaucoup, passionnément... (1971) - M. Keller
• Boulevard du Rhum (1971) - Alvarez
• Bel ordure (1973) - Poussin, le pianiste
• Lily, aime-moi (1975) - Le barbu de chez Flo / Bearded man at Flo's
• Monsieur Balboss (1975) - Le diplomate
• A Dream of Passion (1978) - Kostas
• Les Charlots contre Dracula (1980) - Le comte Dracula
• History of the World, Part I (1981) - Bearnaise (The French Revolution)
• Les Voleurs de la nuit (1984) - Jose
• Les Nouveaux tricheurs (1987) - Romanoff
• Le Grand bleu (1988) - Priest
• La Petite apocalypse (1993) - Realisateur americain
• Gynaikes dilitirio (1993) - Andreas
• Parta ola (2003)
• Mi fevgeis... (2004) - Voutsinas (final film role)

TV

• The Defenders (1963) - Raul Martinez
• Le Pain noir (1974) - Le colporteur
• Solitudes (1977) - Casimir
• Sam et Sally (1978) - Le présentateur
• Madame Sourdis (1979, TV Movie) - Vladimir
• Prova nifikou (1995, TV Series) - Orestis Yalinis

Stage director

• Le Bonheur à Romorantin (1984 TV show)
• Don Juan (1978 TV show)

Art director

• Mademoiselle Julie (1984 TV show)