Dorotea Mercouri, like the classic Mediterranean beauties she is often compared to - Sophia Loren and Anna Magnani - is no shrinking violet. Her hereditary combination of southern Italian bravado and a Greek goddess-like aura protrude loudly as a visual of delight - a woman who will always be in the prime of her life.
A student of classical ballet as a young girl to her intense studies of flamenco as a woman, Ms. Mercouri moves in daily life as if her world was always a stage.
A former model, Ms. Mercouri has lived all over Europe and New York since she was seventeen, She has been the face of several European companies. At the same time, she began to make a foray into the cinema with her debut in the Greek cult classic film "The Attack of the Giant Moussaka," directed by Panos Koutras (1996).
After studying in New York at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute under the careful guidance of Robert Castle, and also at the Actor's Studio with Jack Waltzer, Ms. Mercouri was cast in her first starring role in the independent feature film "And She Was" directed by Frank Rainone (2001).
Fluent in five languages, Ms. Mercouri is also an accomplished vocalist and recording artist.
In 2006, she made her live theatre debut as one of the issue-plagued women in the Greek production of "The Vagina Monologues" (Eve Ensler) and received great critical acclaim for her performance of an angst-filled female.
In the September (2007) issue of Vogue Italia, she is profiled and photographed (by Ellen Von Unwerth) as one of the top European actresses to keep an eye on for 2008.
Her next film "Fishtales," directed by Alki David will be released in Europe in the fall of this year.
Based now in Greece, Ms. Mercouri is married and has two young daughters.
