Despina Mirou is a multifaceted professional: an actress, writer, stand-up comedian, and astronomer. She is passionate, hardworking, and has a great sense of humor. Interestingly, she doesn’t watch TV, not even her own shows, preferring to spend her time writing and reading.
The Greek-American actress Despoina Moirou has made a name for herself in Hollywood. She began her career in Greece with the TV series “Extremely Family” alongside Yiannis Bezos, quickly gaining fame in Greek drama and comedy series. Before moving to America, she acted in 11 Greek films and performed live on stage for eight years, covering everything from Greek tragedy to Neil Simon’s “The Odd Couple.”
Peter Bogdanovich discovered her in Greece and cast her in her first American film when she was just 18. Al Pacino, who chose her from among 13 students worldwide, was one of her teachers.
Despina holds a degree in comedic directing, focusing on the works of Charlie Chaplin and Woody Allen, and a degree in astronomy, with a scholarship in SETI and life in the universe.
She has participated in 12 international films and has seven new films slated for 2024, featuring famous actors like Faye Dunaway and Daryl Hannah. She has also impressed in TV series and films, including Ridley Scott’s “Life in a Day,” David Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future” (2022), and “Affairs in Capri,” where she played Elizabeth Taylor. She is currently working on a film to honor her mentor, Al Pacino, titled “God Bless You Al Pacino.”
Despina has created comedy calendars for a major publishing house, imitating 12 Hollywood stars in various themes like “Hollywood Stars Calendar 2022” and “Rock Stars 2023.”
On TV, she has appeared on major channels like HBO in “Show Me a Hero” by Paul Haggis, NBC’s “Days of Our Lives,” Sony Pictures’ drama “A Mother’s Sacrifice,” and Netflix’s “On My Block” in 2020. She became an American citizen in 2019 and is thrilled about the opportunities for further studies in the USA.
She has continued to make films in the USA, working with renowned actors like Faye Dunaway, Daryl Hannah, and Michael Madsen. Her filmography includes titles like “Nurses Do It Better,” “Vamp Bikes Dos,” “The Proposal,” and “American Connection.” She is currently filming a western in Texas titled “Damn Er!” and has received awards at the Cannes and Venice Film Festivals in 2023.
Despina attended a masterclass with Emir Kusturica in 2023 and met Charlie Chaplin’s son, Eugene Chaplin, in January 2024, where she studied Chaplin’s films in LA.
Despina Mirou’s stand-up career includes writing and performing roles as various famous Americans such as Lady Gaga, Ozzy Osbourne, Judge Judy, Sofia Vergara, Kim Kardashian, Melania Trump, Lucille Ball, Marilyn Monroe, Joan Crawford, and Elizabeth Taylor. She has performed at major comedy clubs like The Laugh Factory and The Comedy Store.
On Broadway, she portrayed Cassandra in Aeschylus’ “Oresteia.” Her versatility in taking on diverse roles has established her as a significant figure in the entertainment industry.
To date, she has received 83 awards. At the age of 13, she won a novel-writing award from the Thessaloniki Literary Association, followed by a poetry award at 14. In the United States, she received the “Excellence in Innovation Award” from the U.S. Congress in 2012, where she also spoke about Greece. She has been honored with awards such as “Favorite Comedic Actress,” “Audience’s Favorite Stand-Up Comedy Actress” in 2018, and the “Best Stand-Up Comedy Actress Award” in July 2019. She also won the 2018 Best Feature Screenplay Award and the “Original Screenplay Award for Future Film.”
In November 2019, she was awarded the “Woman Shaping the World Award” in Washington, alongside Kathleen Kennedy, daughter of Robert Kennedy. In March 2020, she received the “Woman of the Year” award with Gandhi’s granddaughter and an honorary award from the California Legislature Honoring Assembly for her charitable work. In September 2020, she won the “Best Comedy Film” award for her American film “The Light Touch” at the Sweden Film Festival, and the same film was nominated for an interpretation award at the Maverick Film Festival. “The Light Touch” also won Best Comedy Film at the Chicago Film Festival in 2020. She received further recognition at the Venice Film Festival in 2023 for her portrayal of Sophia Loren and was honored as “Best Actress” by the Cannes Film Festival Jury in 2023.
In a poll by IMDB for the 25 most beautiful and talented actresses of 2020, Despina ranked 4th, between Monica Bellucci and Angelina Jolie.
Her face has been featured at the American Film Market (AFM) in Hollywood, Los Angeles, in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
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