Irene Papas Nationality: Was Irene Papas Albanian?

Irene Papas was a globally renowned actress and singer whose career span over five decades.

Though it has been widely published that Papas was a Greek, there is still some amount of uncertainty about her origin.

The uncertainty relates to some comments she is alleged to have said during some interviews.

According to Anabel Magazine, Klan Kosovo published an article where the actress is alleged to have said;

“I can not leave this world without telling the truth. I am Albanian. I was born in 1926 and my first name was Leleek.

The news spread rapidly, although it comes from an Albanian portal, originally published in 2016.

In the sane year [2016], another alleged interview of Irene Papas came to light, where she is reported to have said;

“I look like my own. My mother is an esmere like me. It comes from Epirus, while my father probably came from Albania. Maybe I am Albanian, or half Albanian. The Peloponnese is full of Albanians.”

However, none of these interviews have been found on the internet.

Sadly, Papas passed away on Sept. 14, 2022 at age 96, eleven days after she celebrated her 96th birthday.