M: First thing I saw you in was the film “Committed.” Tell us about that.
O: “Committed” is an indie film that I did in 2014 on the beautiful island of Cyprus. It’s about a guy who loses his way on the island, which is impossible, by the way…
M: It’s impossible because?
O: It’s very small.
M: And he literally loses his way, not metaphorically…
O: Right. Literally. So, the guy is about to get married, but he’s having doubts & he has a huge fight with his fiancee, so he drives off in the middle of the night and ends up getting lost. While he’s driving around, trying to figure out what he’s going to do with his life, he stumbles upon a beautiful bride in her wedding gown in the middle of nowhere, and he picks her up, and they end up having this one-day road-trip together where they discover a lot about themselves and their lives and the choices they’re making.
M: It was directed by Stelana Kliris. Your co-star was Melia Kreiling.
O: Yes. Both of them were great.
M: You & Melia are very hot together. There’s no boy sex in it, which was disappointing to me. There’s no any kind of sex in the film, actually, but still it’s a good film. I’m just joking. One of the great things about the film is the chemistry between you two, you’re both very charismatic. It was like watching Clark Gable and Katharine Hepburn. Only Greek. Although, I should point out to our readers that the film is in English, for the most part.
O: Yes.
M: Where can people find it now?
O: You can find it online. www.Committedmovie.com Also on Vimeo, and there’s a Facebook page, as well.
M: I also want to mention that I read that your brother visited you one day while you were shooting, and he met the director, Stelana, and they fell in love and ended up getting married. Right?
O: That’s true!
M: Awesome. So, you’re like the Brad Pitt of Greece. Let’s see… you were a big leading man at The National Theatre of Cyprus, and you’re a soap-opera star. What’s a Greek soap-opera like? Is it more like a telenovela than our soaps here? Soap operas here go on forever, until everybody gets old and dies. But there, they go for just a limited time, yes?
O: Yeah, they go for about two years. The soaps are crazy. Crazy and fun and tiring and amazing.
M: How many were you on?
O: I did two of them. I was on the second season of one that was based on a Mexican telenovela, actually, which was called “Amores de Mercado” …
M: Um… that’s “Loves of the Market?”
O: Right.
M: It took place in a supermarket? Did you play a guy who works the register and hates his life?
O: Something like that. Almost. You’re very close. I played a guy who wooed the protagonist’s sister.
M: And she worked the register and was miserable!
O: Everybody was miserable!
M: And you were on another one, one that I actually saw, and of course, I didn’t understand any of it, it was literally Greek to me, but you were playing a doctor. A hilarious doctor.
O: The lead character was supposed to be a really famous surgeon, and I conspired against him with my love interest…
M: What was that one called?
O: “Dr. Roulis.” The lead character, his name was sort-of a play on words. The word means something like a doctor who’s not really a doctor. Maybe like a fake doctor.
M: Oh, so was he a fake doctor, doing surgeries on unsuspecting Greek people?
O: No, he was not, but I was.
M: Oh, good! I’m glad somebody was a fake doctor!
O: I was definitely a bad guy.
M: Fantastic. OK, so you have all this success in the theatre and on television and in movies, and you’re a big heart-throb. Why did you leave?
O: Honestly I needed a challenge, really. Yes, I was working often, but I found myself doing the same kinds of things over and over again, and I was afraid maybe I was becoming a bit stale. It was all just a bit predictable.
M: Really it was that you’d had sex already with every starlet you could. Here’s where I tell all the guys reading that you’re a heterosexual. Sorry, guys.
O: No to the former, yes to the latter. But, really, I left because I wanted an adventure.
M: Ok, well, also you’re part of an acting dynasty. You’re like Michael Douglas or Jeff Bridges. Your family are all famous and successful actors, as well. Your mother…
O: Eliana Chalkia.
M: She’s now on a new television series.
O: She’s on a television series now in Cyprus. Yes, I come from a family of actors. My uncle and his wife, also, they were all part of The Greek National Theatre, and that’s where I studied acting, as well.
M: I found some pictures of your mother, and she was super sexy! I did my homework, and found out that she turned down a film with Zeffirelli.
O: Yes! I can’t believe you found that. There was a film, going to be shot in Italy, of course, and my mother had just recently met my dad, and she decided to say no, and stay in Cyprus and pursue that relationship.
M: What was the movie, do you remember?
O: No, I don’t, unfortunately, but it was probably 1978, ’79 maybe…
M: Oh, my God, I hope it was “Endless Love.” Anyway… ok, now you’re in the United States. What was your initial reaction?
O: Well, before I came to The States, I was in London for about four years. I worked there, did some great stuff, I got to work with Peter Hall, I totally fell in love with the British Theatre.
M: You were on a fantastic TV show called “The Bletchley Circle.”
O: Yes! I loved it there, I’d love to go back someday, do some theatre, but I really believe that The United States is the place to be. I got here and things started to take off immediately.
M: You’re ready to take over America. You’re going to Make America Great Again. No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, you’re this generation’s Colin Farrell, or something.
O: That’s hilarious.
M: Well, you’ve aired done a few big commercial campaigns, and you have a couple of films coming out.
O: Yeah. “The Salesman” is a film I have coming out sometime this year. I play a guy who’s pleading with the Devil for his life. It’s very intense. It was really challenging for me. It sort-of takes place in Limbo. The other one is called “A Brave Face,” which is all about domestic abuse. I play a very old-fashioned Egyptian man who expects his wife to be a certain way, and how coming to America changes them as a family.
M: I have a friend in “A Brave Face.” An gorgeous actress named Sahlima.
O: Oh, yes!
M: I know Sahlima because she’s in my series, “Child of the ‘70s,” which is an amazing segue, because you, too, are in my series! So, the story goes, I’d written a part, a character in the upcoming 5th season of the show, who has a very thick accent, and nobody can understand him. And then, coincidentally, I saw your film, “Committed,” which I really loved, and I thought you’d be great in the part. But, I’m thinking there’s no way you’d ever do it. Big star, you know! But, I looked you up on IMDb, found your representation, found that you were here in The States, offered you the part, and you said yes!
O: Because it was hysterical. I’d never really done anything like that before, that kind of over-the-top, broad comedy, so it was a great opportunity for me. Plus, there’s a big gun fight at the end of the season!
M: Don’t give anything away!
O: Sorry. I met so many amazing people on the set. My mother was especially excited when she found out that I met Ted Lange from “The Love Boat.” It was one of the most fun projects I’ve ever been a part of. And, now the show is all over the world, right? On cable in over eight countries in Europe.
M: And in Canada, thanks for the plug! And here in The States, on Dekkoo, which is a fantastic subscription service - more shameless plugging! OK, so more about America… did you imagine that all the women here looked like Michelle Pfeiffer?
O: YES! I was hoping, anyway.
M: I don’t know why she just popped into my head. Maybe because you’re from Greece, and she was in “Grease 2.” You know, I know people who prefer “Grease 2” over “Grease.”
O: Is that true?
M: Crazily, yes. Have you travelled around The States?
O: Just a little bit, not too much. New York, of course.
M: My hometown! Greatest city in the world!
O: Yes, and I very much want to go back there. I love Los Angeles, I really do, and San Francisco is beautiful. I recently shot something up in Portland, Oregon.
M: You gotta get to Vegas, Baby! And Chicago! And Miami. Go to Washington, D.C. and stand outside of The White House and protest Trump with me! Wait! We shouldn’t get into politics. I’ll definitely need a drink if we do that.
O: Shall we drink?
M: Oh, my God, YES! But, before we get drunk, two more questions.
O: OK.
M: What’s next for you?
O: Well, I’m doing a horror movie! It’s called “Chosen,” and it’s directed by Michael Moutsatsos.
M: Fabulous! Do you die in it?
O: I can’t tell you.
M: OK, last question: what’s your favorite movie?
O: Easy. “Fight Club.”
M: Fantastic answer. OK, we’re done.
