From within

Testing herself, sometimes in crisp comedies and other times in dark dramas, but always with exceptional elegance and an inexpressible ease, Maria Kavoyianni has long made it clear that she is one of the greatest acting talents we have ever had the honor to enjoy.

She is undoubtedly a woman with dozens of faces—just as many as the roles she has played so successfully over the years, that if we were talking about Hollywood productions, we would clearly be dealing with an Oscar-winning actress. In this corner of the planet, we have the joy (and honor) of enjoying her every time she invades our homes through the television screens. And it's not an exaggeration, we are certain of this, especially after her participation in Maestro (under the direction of Christoforos Papakaliatis and the Netflix seal of approval), there is no one who didn’t enjoy and love her instantly.

Maybe it's her fiery passion for life, that energy, and the familiar aura she radiates. And, of course, as happens in these rare cases, she takes on the face of a friend, sister, mother—for all of us, magically, at the same time. That's why people are not afraid to approach her. However, we know very little about her, by her own choice. But we know that she gives pieces of herself to every heroine she portrays.

As a young girl, among other things, she wanted to become a painter like her mother—she loves the color purple and Van Gogh’s work. Eventually, she studied economics at the Athens University of Economics and Business, then Pedagogy, and finally followed the Art Theater path. In her free time, she enjoys cooking for friends and watching movies and series with them—for hours. She can't imagine life without chocolate and spicy (even hot) flavors.

She adores the words of Milan Kundera and the epic works of Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese. If you ask her who her favorite actresses are, her eyes light up and she passionately names Olivia Colman, Jessica Lange, and Meryl Streep. And when you hear it, you instinctively know that in a parallel universe, her name would be right alongside theirs.

She often says the phrase "Life is short." And when she deals with something creative, she feels that time stops. For her, time is moments. "I feel that the time we have here is minimal. Time flies. That's why it’s so precious." She describes herself as countless journeys—journeys in art, in the world, in motherhood. Ironically, in our eyes, she seems like home, Hestia, warmth, exuding trust. She laughs. For her, "home is memories, smells, safety, an open space where everyone is welcome. I feel like myself at home, and I want everyone who walks through the door to feel the same."

Born and raised in Vyronas. "I grew up here, I was born here, I lived all my years here, I have my memories here. It’s my wider home, a neighborhood of owned properties, unchanged over time. The older generations are slowly leaving, and the children and their children remain." Laughing, she explains how a few decades ago, she would probably have lived in a commune—she loves being a hostess, surrounded by loved ones, hearing laughter, always having the door open.

Her grandmother was the same. The woman she grew up admiring. Highly educated for her time, a teacher with an immense love for theater, she was the one who introduced her to this world in her own way.

As she speaks, in the background, you can faintly hear the soundtrack from Forrest Gump. She loves it, as much as the movie. We tell her how Forrest had neither dreams nor fears, and we agree that perhaps this is why he appeared and felt truly free. There’s an epic role that at some point blended drama with comedy masterfully.

She admits that she no longer has big dreams. "On the contrary, I find meaning in things that happen here and now. Collaborations, relationships, friendships, moments. My dreams might not even be dreamt yet. Often, something becomes a reality that I hadn't even dared to think of. As for my greatest fear... it's loneliness—the thought of living without love, without companionship, without my people. It scares me as much as the possibility of not being able to do all the things that make me who I am. The helplessness of age, the frailty, not time itself. I've made peace with time, it doesn't scare me."

In her three-decade career, has she ever felt that, as a woman or artist, she managed to "break" barriers?

"I don’t feel like I’ve broken any glass ceiling. I’ve always pursued what I wanted and made sure to stay absolutely true to my desires, my ethics, my aesthetics, as well as the responsibilities and obligations that come with my choices. At the same time, I’ve always pursued my freedom, both artistically and personally in my relationships. That’s exactly what I always advise the young, talented colleagues (whom I try my best to support). Of course, I firmly believe that we are all small pieces of a larger puzzle or system, so the ethical stance of each woman colleague can bring even a small change. But our work is inherently collective, on all levels. So, the word 'collaboration' is the magic ingredient. If we break any barrier, any glass ceiling, it will be done collectively, together. For example, the director is the one pulling the strings, guiding you where you want to go, immersing you in the atmosphere of the time and moment."

Being in a field that loves the ephemeral and the new for decades, there were clearly many challenges and responsibilities. "But to be honest, I never felt a huge responsibility on my shoulders for the present or future of the field. I did feel it, though, toward myself. And I don't mean this egocentrically, don’t misunderstand me. But in terms of honesty, integrity, and substance."

She loves the new, welcomes it with joy and anticipation. "I like to evolve—the key to this is staying open and curious." In this evolution, lessons, unsurprisingly, came in abundance. "Time did its work, as did my roles. I used to be a more closed, introverted person, and over the years I opened up. Interaction with people, new acquaintances, and friendships have an impact on you. I got to know myself better. My fears (and I’ve overcome some of them through my work and each new role), my beliefs, I learned to listen and understand my inner self. And I realized that what ultimately drives me is the collaboration. Because it’s the value of collaboration that greatly determines the quality of the outcome. So, I always wish to be alongside artists with whom I share the same values, aesthetics, and ideals. They bring out the best in me. This generosity reflects in the result."

Following all the clichés, it was clearly the creative need within her that started everything, years ago.

"It was a need for creative expression, yes. A way to learn and understand both the world and myself simultaneously. To unfold my emotions and communicate them outward. When I was younger, I dreamed at times of becoming a painter, an archaeologist, a tour guide, a teacher. I walked some of those paths as choices for a while. And in the end, they all (and many more) became reality for at least a moment in time—because they all came together in acting."

Automatically, each role contained parts of herself. "Personality is a hallmark of everyone involved in art, whether they’re a painter, a musician, or an actor. There’s a personal touch." And conversely, within herself, she carried every role, during productions and even later. Perhaps that's why she feels at ease both in comedy and drama. "Life contains both. Drama is perhaps noisier, and in modern times, we constantly have it in front of us (think of how much raw violence we tolerate or struggle to digest), so in a way, we know drama better, we empathize more easily. Laughter seems to be just moments, while drama feels eternal—though it’s not."

We ask if she ever envied a role she saw portrayed by another actress on the small or big screen. "I don’t envy anything or anyone—my character is such. But I do get very excited! With friends, I watch endless series and movies, late into the night, sometimes until morning. That’s one of the things that makes me dream about the future of Greek productions—the discussions with them. I dream that we will have in Greece the opportunities and prospects that exist abroad, for example, in the U.S. and the U.K., and not just exceptionally, as it is now, but as a rule." That’s why she is very proud and moved by the journey of Maestro around the world and her participation in it.

Does she ever regret any of her choices or decisions? She responds spontaneously that if she were born today, she would probably do nothing differently. Maybe by chance, she would have chosen a different path, but even if that happened, it would have little significance, the difference would be negligible.

"I may have made mistakes in the past, like we all have, but I learned much more from them than from the 'right' choices. And it was exactly these mistakes (and the right ones mixed in) that brought me to where I am today. I’ve always operated on intuition and emotion, ever since I can remember. So, there are no regrets, no second thoughts. What did I say earlier? Life is very short—especially if you don’t follow your instinct."

We remind her that exactly one year ago, to the day, we had the honor and pleasure of interviewing her Maestro co-star, Haroula Alexiou. "We are not what we do," she had said spontaneously at some point, speaking about her professional identity, in connection with her inner self and the automatic identity given by the world. "We are what we’ve learned and what we know." We share it with her and listen to what she has to say. She smiles widely. She loves and deeply respects her friend Haroula, and in her words, she recognizes herself.

"I would say that we are the people and moments that made us who we are today. So yes, there is an element of learned knowledge and experience. But more than that, it’s the relationships, connections, and the love you received that remain inside you."