Nico Mastorakis (Greek: Νίκος Μαστοράκης; born 28 April 1941 in Athens, Greece) is a Greek filmmaker, director and radio producer.
At the age of 18 Mastorakis as a young reporter with the Greek newspaper Ethnikos Kirikas scored his first international scoop, an exclusive interview with the exiled Princess Soraya. Later, as an investigative reporter for the daily Messimvrini, adding to multiple award-winning reports, he created the first “automobile page” in Greek press.
In his last job as a reporter for the daily Apogevmatini he posed as a musician for the group of popular singer Yanni Poulopoulos and gained access to Onassis’ yacht, the Christina where Onassis was hosting Jackie and Ted Kennedy.
He used a Minox camera hidden behind the strings of his guitar to take photos but was inevitably discovered by Ted’s security men and although managing to fly out of Scorpios with his negatives intact he was later arrested by the junta’s secret police and detained for the… read more
Nico Mastorakis (Greek: Νίκος Μαστοράκης; born 28 April 1941 in Athens, Greece) is a Greek filmmaker, director and radio producer.
At the age of 18 Mastorakis as a young reporter with the Greek newspaper Ethnikos Kirikas scored his first international scoop, an exclusive interview with the exiled Princess Soraya. Later, as an investigative reporter for the daily Messimvrini, adding to multiple award-winning reports, he created the first “automobile page” in Greek press.
In his last job as a reporter for the daily Apogevmatini he posed as a musician for the group of popular singer Yanni Poulopoulos and gained access to Onassis’ yacht, the Christina where Onassis was hosting Jackie and Ted Kennedy.
He used a Minox camera hidden behind the strings of his guitar to take photos but was inevitably discovered by Ted’s security men and although managing to fly out of Scorpios with his negatives intact he was later arrested by the junta’s secret police and detained for the night while his negatives were discovered and confiscated.
Although his article about that night being heavily censored he broke the news of Ari and Jackie getting married months before the official announcement.
Mastorakis turned to commercials and features and eventually left the country in 1975 to pursue his career as a film maker overseas. He had already made two low budget movies, one of which later became a cult classic (Island of Death) and while living in London he wrote the screenplay of “The Greek Tycoon”, a roman à clef based on his Onassis’ encounters. The movie, financed by Allan Klein, was shot in 1976 with Anthony Quinn and Jacqueline Bisset starring and was distributed by Universal. Mastorakis landed a two year contract with Paramount but in 1980 he turned independent with “Blood Tide” which he wrote and produced. He has since written, produced and directed 17 features, mainly low budget but with awards attached (Blind Date, Nightmare At Noon, Grandmother’s House) and distribution by major studios and mainstream TV networks. He wrote two published novels (Fire Below Zero and Keepers of the Secret) with Barnaby Conrad and was instrumental in the careers of Hans Zimmer (his first music score for Terminal Exposure), Kirstie Alley, Valeria Golino and award-winning composer Vangelis, with whom Mastorakis wrote a bundle of Greek pop top hits in the sixties.
He returned to Greece in late 1989 to launch Antenna TV which he managed for three years. He left in 1993 to create a new independent TV network, Star Channel. Since then, he hosted the relatively successful “Arga” (Late), a late night talk show, and revamped the beauty pageant telecasts.
He also wrote and directed sitcoms Goodnight, Mom and Divorced With Children, the politically incorrect satirical show Not the ANT1 News, and more. In 1995, he launched his own classic rock radio station (Radio Gold) which he recently sold to Pegassus Publishing Group.
