Giannis Spaliaras and Athina Klioumi Marturet are featured in a cover editorial in the multi-cover “Reasons to be Thankful” edition of Mode Lifestyle Magazine.

What a way to end one year and begin another, with a beautiful photo shoot at Cape Sounio, an exotic beachfront resort facing the temple of Poseidon which is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Europe if not the world. It is here that Mode Lifestyle Magazine interviews Greek actor, model and heartthrob Giannis Spaliaras and American based Greek/German actress Athina Klioumi Marturet for our cover feature. The romantic and energetic ambience of the Grecotel Cape Sounio location is very fitting for the shoot because it mirrors the role of husband and wife played by Giannis and Athina in the very popular Television Series “Lord of the Skies (El señor de los Cielos) which is showing on Netflix. In the show Athina plays the role of Greek born CIA agent “Athina” and Giannis plays the role of a spy “Nicos”.

MODE – Athina: Athina you do a lot of travelling during the year to multiple countries. How does it feel to be back in Greece and to be doing this cover photo shoot at the magnificent Grecotel Cape Sounio with its close proximity to the Temple of Poseidon? What do you love the most about Greece and the Greek culture?
Athina: Really it was a such rewarding experience doing this photo shoot in this amazing real setting and even more in those intense times and after some months in quarantine in Miami. I say “real” because we actors are used to being in recreated settings but being in a real temple is something out of this world. The light, the breathtaking view to the blue Mediterranean Sea, the smell of the jasmine & eucalyptus trees, the green olive trees, and the lovely kind of mysterious wind, it all takes you back to ancient times. Grecotel Sounio is a magnificent hotel with a view right to the Poseidon Temple at Sounion, 50 miles outside Athens. It is majestic and looks like a temple itself and yet has the Greek simplicity. The sunset we witness in this hotel and on the Sounion temple are something really out of this world and so inspiring. It has all that I love about Greece; the beautiful nature, views, colors, pure food and best hospitality, amazing ancient sites and lovely people. Greece has also almost all year round sunny days, even in winter, and the light in Greece is magic. You should try to at least visit once in your lifetime because it is unique and connects your soul.

I was so excited to shoot there since this temple is one of my favorite of all and I have visited it since I was a small girl. The most beautiful thing of all though, was to come together again once more with our local Greek producer of the TV series “Lord of the Skies 7”, Elektra Apostolaki. Telemundo/NBC under the leadership of executive producer Marcos Santana together with producer Mariana Iskandarani and crew filmed several scenes in Greece as well and Elektra was in charge for those. Last year we were part of a super production which brought 50 people from USA and Greece together. Memorable scenes were shot in Greece like the Greek wedding of my daughter Irene (Christina Sotiriou), the fighting scenes and Greek hospitality with main cast super stars Amado Leal played by Matias Novoa and Diana Ahumada played by Isabella Castillo. The tai chi scenes with Amado and also some shots with quite some brutality and sadness when Athina lost her daughter and Amado steals her out of Greece to Mexico, were all scenes shot in Mykonos. Writer Luis Zelkowics, as a connoisseur of so many cultures and also a big Greece lover, really wrote that script with great inspiration and maintained my real name Athina. Of course for this photoshoot in Greece and in pandemic times we had a very small crew, but I loved to work with Elektra and my TV husband Giannis again. It was a unique moment and I miss my co-workers so much, especially my film partner Mexican actor Fernando Noriega (El Rojo) and with all others with whom I had amazing scenes as with actors Luis Ivan Arana, Carmen Aub, Claudia Lobo, Eduardo Santamaria, Nacho Fresnada, Alejandro Lopez, Fernando Bandaaa, Alex Walerstein, David Ponce, Carlo Puente, Elkin Cordoba, Ruben Arciniegas, Karen Sandoval, Ninel Conde, Robinson Diaz, and Roberto Escobar.

MODE – Giannis: As part of your modeling career you have modelled with multiple brands and at different locations. What places have you enjoyed visiting the most either for modeling or just for vacation? How did you enjoy the Grecotel Cape Sounio location?
Giannis: I have visited more than 20 countries and most of them have been work related. The most amazing beautiful cities & countries I have visited is South Africa, Cape Town, Brazil, Mexico is also a very beautiful country with huge history and colors everywhere, and recently I was in Iran Shooting for a TV series and was astonished by its natural beauty. I enjoy the Grecotel Sounion location in the most amazing area of Athens opposite the Temple of Poseidon. As you arrive there you immediately feel the energy of the field and the beauty of the Greek light.

MODE – Giannis: We understand that you first started working as a model and then progressed to acting with your first film role in The Attack of the Giant Moussaka in 1999. You’ve also been in various Greek TV shows. How has your life changed since those early beginning?
Giannis: I Started at 20 years old as a model and I visited many places working as a model in Europe but also around the world. I love modeling also because it gave me a very good start, but acting is much more exciting and interesting for me because I can be much more creative and it makes me feel much more alive. The main ways my life has changed is that many things that were mainly dreams in my early years are now my reality. I like to be evolving, and as I continued to focus through the years I have become known for my work and the fame has come along with it.

MODE – Athina: As wife and husband on the show, how do you maintain the realism or chemistry that can often be challenging when two people are supposed to be acting together?
Athina: You look for things you have in common and work from there…hahahah. It was easy to work with Gianni. We both are Greeks and although I grew up in different countries of the world, in summertime we always visit Greece and I have a lot of family there. I love Greece and their people, the Greek culture, dance and understand the Greek mentality. Gianni and I met before through our friend Elektra Apostolaki and studied together our lines, practiced Spanish and communicated a lot via zoom. He has everything we love about Greeks: he is very athletic, charming, a bit savage, down to earth and very handsome. In fact, look at him. Does he not look like Hercules or one of the Greek ancient gods? He is also super tall. Also his Greek accent when speaking English was perfect for the part and surprised because it is very similar to the one we know of the Latinos. Remember Anthony Quinn? We understood us immediately without talking I think and he was always up for a rehearsal anytime. He is a hard worker and very natural intuitive actor. I think local Greek producer Elektra Apostolaki together with Marcos Santana and Marianna Iskandarani from Telemundo, and Monica Vizzi from Argos TV did an amazing job. Anyway, the cast of El senor de los Cielos 7 is just amazing. Have a look at a compilation of a cast with most renown excellent actors from Mexico, Colombia, Cuba and USA. You will see incredible inspired acting, perfect direction of the many directors as Mauricio Corredor (who shot in Greece), Sergio Osorio (Colombia), Jorge Rios (Mexico), and others and the fierce crew we had together with great photography. Oh I really miss all my co-workers and being on set. I have such great respect for all the work behind the lens and production of such a series as produced by producer Marcos Santana. It is a titanic undertaking but he made history with making a TV series like #ELSEÑORDELOSCIELOS 7 known all over the world.

MODE – Giannis: You play the role of a spy, Nicos, that is married to Athina with a daughter Irene (Christina Sotiriou). How did you land this important role in this series and how do you think it has it impacted your career path?
Giannis: This was my first International job and it was a great experience for me. I had to learn Spanish fast and speak English, Spanish and Greek but mostly Spanish. So in the beginning it was difficult but as soon as I got to Mexico it was much easier to learn because everyone was speaking Spanish.
I tried being focused on my role to give the best of me, and this path elevated my psychology and opened new horizons and I saw that new international productions can trust me. After one month of finishing shooting with El Senor I booked my 2nd international job which lasted for 3 months in Iran and that gave me a big boost.

MODE – Giannis: When we were speaking with Athina about her visit to Greece for the cover photoshoot she said that you were quite the celebrity. How does it feel to be recognized as a celebrity when going about doing your day to day things?
Giannis: It’s a very nice feeling to be recognized in your country, to be loved by people and having them talk to me in the street, but I try to not be trapped by this image and not lose my spontaneity. In general, when I wake up in my everyday life I am Giannis.