Zoe Laskari

Zoe Laskari (Greek: Ζωή Λάσκαρη, pronounced [zoˈɛː ˈlaskari]; born 12 December 1943/1944) is a Greek film and stage actress.

Zoe Laskari was born Zoi Kouroukli in Thessaloniki, from a middle class family which had a long tradition of service to the Hellenic Army. At an early age she lost both her parents and was raised by her paternal grandparents. In 1959, she won the title of Star Hellas (Miss Greece) and went on to represent Greece at the Miss Universe pageant in Long Beach, California where she made it to the semifinals. However, while her being in the United States, it was revealed that she was still legally a minor, having obscured her true age. She refused to return to Greece and stayed in New York City for a period of time.

In 1967 she married industrialist Petros Koutoumanos, with whom she gave birth to her first daughter, Martha Koutoumanou. Their marriage ended in 1971. In June 1976, she married criminologist Alexandros Lykourezos, having her second daughter, Maria-Eleni Lykourezou.

Due to her success at the beauty pageant, director Giannis Dalianidis, offered her the starring role in O katiforos, a 1961 film, whose success gave her a rapid popularity and she shortly signed an exclusive contract with the biggest Greek film production company at the time, Finos Film. The films in which she appeared ranged from drama to comedy and musical. Some of her later movies were Stefania (1966) and Oi Thalassies oi Hadres (1967) . Other Laskari film hits were Nomos 4000, Merikoi to protimoun kryo, Koritsia gia filima, Dakrya gia tin Ilektra, Mia kyria sta bouzoukia and Marihouana stop.

Her stage work included famous plays like Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, the ancient Greek tragedy The Trojan Women by Euripides and Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park. Her theatrical hits include the play Oi erastes tou Oneirou which was also her first play in Athens. Laskari's first television appearance was her leading role in the TV series Romaios kai Ioulieta in 1976.