Greek actor Panagiotis Petrakis has described the moment he first met singer Anna Vissi, at an audition held inside her home, saying he was left in shock when he saw her in person.
Petrakis made the comments during an interview broadcast on Tuesday, 15 September, on the television programme "Noris Noris" (Early Early). He said the meeting came about because of the 2013 stage production "Daimones" (Demons), directed by Yiannis Kaklias, in which the two performers ended up appearing together.
Petrakis explained that Daimones was a show he had loved since he was a small child, which is why being cast in it alongside Vissi felt almost impossible to believe.
Singing in front of Vissi
He said Vissi had always been wonderful, recalling that they first met at an audition in her house and that he had been in shock at the thought of singing the song "Daimones" to Vissi herself. He said he had been obsessed with the school production of the show as a child, watching it around 15 times, and used to sing its songs to himself while sitting in class. He said it felt sudden when that childhood fascination suddenly became reality, as though life had been preparing him for what would happen later.
He added that it had been a very good show and a very good experience for him at the time.
An admission about arrogance
Later in the interview, hosts Maria Iliaki and Krateros Katsoulis asked Petrakis whether he had ever gone through a period of arrogance.
He admitted that in the past he had held a very high opinion of himself and his abilities, though he said he never believed he was worth more than other people. He described it instead as a kind of vanity, a mindset of thinking he could do things better than others, which he now views as a negative trait. He said that, fortunately, with age and maturity, that attitude has faded.
Background
Anna Vissi is one of the best-known and longest-established singers in Greek popular music, with a recording career spanning several decades. Yiannis Kaklias is a Greek theatre director who has staged numerous productions in Athens. Petrakis is a Greek actor who has appeared in stage productions including the 2013 staging of Daimones alongside Vissi.
