06/02/2006

Christos Loulis is a member of an emerging generation of versatile Greek actors. His most recent roles are in Nikos Panayotopoulos' Delivery and Olga Malea’s Honey and the Pig (Loukoumades me meli).

Cineuropa: What made you decide to become an actor?
Christos Loulis: I cannot really say why I decided to become an actor. I suspect the reason being that this profession offers me a chance to get carried away on a daily basis! I mean I use body language quite a lot, I get to confront my greatest fears and, last but not least, I am so happy that it is a job that does not require you working behind a desk... Very close to that "I-want-to-become-an-explorer" dream that I had as a child...

Which roles do you consider to be the ones that best suit your talent?
The roles that I do enjoy the most are my roles in the theatre. I think that is because they give me the ability to study my work more carefully, at least in what regards the true acting part. I can safely say that the role of "Ion", from "Euripides", that I played while with the National Theatre of Greece in the Epidavros festival in 2003 is my favourite one. That apart though I admit I am really selective about my roles, but I do care about who my acting partners are and how can we work together. It sounds a bit cliché, I know, but honestly that is how I feel it...

The Shooting Star nomination is surely a reward for your talent and sweating over your work. Could it be a head start for an international career?
Yes, it is a reward for my sufferings, so to speak, but in the end all my sufferings are part of my job; I mean I don’t expect to be awarded or decorated because I am just doing my job and I don’t feel a need that I have to be [awarded]. On the other hand I would lie if I said I was not pleased when I heard that I’m Greece’s representative at Shooting Stars in Berlin. It is a great honour. I see it as a great experience that I am looking forward to… And let’s not forget the red carpet treatment! As for [my] international career I happen to believe that we live in a multi-cultural Europe where nice things happen. In some countries like in mine things are not happening in a pace that we would have wanted them to happen but I guess if I am given the chance to go abroad I will probably immediately forget about it...

Do you believe in European cinema? Would you consider changing something in the way it is perceived?
I am not sure if I would change something in European cinema, except perhaps for the fact that I would like it to be truly European and not defined as exclusively French, German or British etc.