The story of the 2025 Gabby Awards is entitled “Goddesses in our Midst,” during which we will recognize and honor the extraordinary lives of 20 contemporary goddesses from throughout North America. During the program, with film, song and theatrical elements, we will also pay tribute to a series of dynamic women who each in her own way, left her mark on the world. We are honored to have the support of longtime foundation supporter, Margarita Cox, a versatile artist known for her soulful vocals and dynamic stage presence, lead in our tribute to Melina Mercouri on the night of June 7, 2025.
Melina Mercouri was born on October 18, 1920, in Athens, into a family whose name had long been associated with public life. Her grandfather, Spyridon Mercouris, served as mayor of Athens for more than two decades, while her father, Stamatis Mercouris, was a cavalry officer and member of parliament. From an early age, Mercouri was drawn to the spotlight. At the age of ten, she performed an impromptu show in a café on the island of Spetses, earning the applause of strangers and a scolding from her mother. It was the first of many stages she would claim as her own.
She grew up in a neoclassical home on Tsakalof Street in Kolonaki, surrounded by the legacies of her family and the rhythms of political life. In 1938, she was admitted to the National Theatre’s Drama School in Athens, joining a class that included future pillars of Greek theater. In the winter of 1939, she married Panagis Harokopos, a wealthy landowner, though the marriage ended in divorce years later.
Mercouri made her professional theatrical debut in 1944, and by 1949 had earned acclaim for her performance as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire. Her film debut came in 1955 with Stella, a groundbreaking Greek film directed by Michael Cacoyannis. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival, where she met American-French director Jules Dassin. Their creative and personal partnership would last until her death. They married in 1966, and she would go on to star in eight of his films, including Phaedra, Topkapi, and A Dream of Passion.
Her most iconic role came in Never on Sunday (1960), in which she played Ilya, a spirited woman in Piraeus who challenged social norms. The role earned her Best Actress at Cannes and an Academy Award nomination. With her distinctive voice and unapologetic presence, Mercouri quickly became an international symbol of Greek modernity and resilience.
That resilience became personal in 1967 when a military junta seized power in Greece. Mercouri, then in exile, became an outspoken opponent of the regime. When Junta General Pattakos revoked her Greek citizenship, she defiantly responded: “I was born Greek and I will die Greek.” Mercouri went on to use her global influence, denouncing the junta and advocating for Greek democracy. For the next seven years, she became one of the most recognizable faces of resistance to authoritarianism in Europe.
When democracy was restored in 1974, Mercouri returned to Greece and entered politics with the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). Elected to parliament in 1977, she became Minister of Culture in 1981—the first woman in Greek history to hold the post. She would serve for over eight years, becoming the longest-serving Culture Minister in modern Greek politics.
As Minister, Mercouri believed that culture was central to national identity and cohesion. She funded regional cultural centers, supported Greek cinema, expanded archaeological site preservation, and worked to embed the arts into daily life. She famously declared, “culture is Greece’s heavy industry,” a statement that came to define her tenure.
Her most visible and enduring campaign was advocating for the return of the Parthenon Marbles, stolen by Lord Elgin in the early 1800s and housed in the British Museum. In 1983, she addressed UNESCO, asserting that the Parthenon Marbles belonged in Athens, not just as artifacts but as symbols of Hellenic continuity. She also initiated plans for a new Acropolis Museum—one that would eventually open years after her death.
In 1985, she proposed the creation of the European Capital of Culture program. Athens became the first such city that year, and the initiative has since flourished across the continent, promoting cultural exchange and integration on a European scale.
Melina Mercouri died on March 6, 1994, in New York City after a long illness. She was buried at the First Cemetery of Athens. In 2020, the Greek government declared it the “Year of Melina Mercouri,” marking the centenary of her birth and reaffirming her place in the national consciousness.
For many, she is simply Melina. A name that needs no surname. Her legacy lives not only in the roles she played but in the battles she chose. Whether on the stage, in parliament, or at a UNESCO podium, she used her voice—and her spotlight—not just to entertain, but to defend what she believed Greece stood for. Her life remains a reminder that cultural identity is not inherited alone—it is shaped, safeguarded, and shared.
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A finalist on Greece’s Fame Story, she has performed internationally, including at Carnegie Hall, where she reimagined the classic “Never on Sunday” as part of her Cine Ellinikon project. Her music blends world influences with contemporary sounds, reflecting her diverse background and passion for storytelling. Currently, Margarita is working on a self-titled album and a bilingual children’s project, showcasing her commitment to both artistic innovation and cultural preservation. Read more here.
