Dimos Gigantakis

Dimos Gigantakis is a Greek actor and performer whose career has spanned theatre, television, film and live entertainment. He became widely known in Greece through a series of television and stage appearances before moving to the United States, where he continued working in entertainment. In 2025, he returned to the Greek screen after approximately fifteen years to take one of the central roles in the crime series Rififi.Gigantakis was born in Chalkida, Greece, and spent part of his childhood in Germany because his parents were teachers. He later grew up in Athens, in the Palaio Faliro area. From an early age he was drawn to performing and recalls taking part in school celebrations, plays and performances, where he discovered his natural connection with the stage. His first professional appearance came in a music video for singer Mando's song Epikindynes Apostoles, directed by Chouliaras. The opportunity led to further work and encouraged him to pursue entertainment professionally.Before establishing himself as an actor, Gigantakis worked a variety of jobs in order to support himself financially. He has spoken about working at a petrol station, in restaurants as a waiter and in nightclubs, while gradually building his career as a performer. His stage work eventually brought him into contact with major Greek theatre productions and performers.Among his notable theatrical appearances was the role of the Dwarf in Ben Jonson's Volpone, directed by Giorgos Kimoulis at the Roumeli Municipal and Regional Theatre in 2006. In 2009, he also participated in The Tiger Lillies Freakshow at the Badminton Theatre in Athens, combining theatre with a more unconventional form of live performance.His television career includes appearances in productions such as Dromoi tis Polis: Atychi Mera (1995), ...Ystera Irthan oi Melisses (2000), Ta Hrysa Koritsia (2007) and I Polykatoikia (2010). He also appeared in the series Gyro Gyro Oloi and in international productions including The Jadagrace Show and Brit Kids of Vegas.His film credits include I Epochi ton Asevon (2000), Aionios Foítitis (2001), Gyro Gyro Oloi (2002) and I Kardia tou Ktínous (The Heart of the Beast, 2005).For many years Gigantakis was based in the United States, where he continued working in entertainment and live performance. His return to Greece for Rififi marked his first major Greek screen appearance in around fifteen years. He has described the project as the first offer after a long absence from the Greek scene that genuinely made him want to return. The collaboration with director Sotiris Tsafoulias, the concept of the series and the atmosphere surrounding the production were decisive factors in his decision.In Rififi, the six-episode series directed by Sotiris Tsafoulias and produced by Tanweer and COSMOTE TV, Gigantakis plays Argyris, one of the seven central figures involved in the elaborate bank heist. The series is inspired by the real-life 1992 robbery of the Bank of Labour in Athens.Argyris is a petty criminal who, when he is not stealing cars, works alongside his close friend Antonis as a gravedigger. His practical skills and physicality make him an important member of the group responsible for constructing the underground passage leading toward the bank's vault. The character also shares a close friendship with Antonis, played by Vladimiros Kyriakidis, which becomes one of the human relationships running through the story.Interestingly, an incident from Gigantakis' own life was incorporated into the character of Argyris. According to director Sotiris Tsafoulias, Gigantakis had been brought to a police station in 1993 because of his distinctive physical appearance, despite having a solid alibi. The incident was adapted into the screenplay and became part of Argyris' backstory, giving the character an unusual connection to the real events that inspired the series.The role also represents a significant return for Gigantakis after many years away from the Greek screen. His performance in Rififi places him at the centre of a major Greek television production while bringing to the character the experience he has accumulated through theatre, television, cinema and live performance on both sides of the Atlantic.Throughout his career, Gigantakis has worked across different forms of entertainment without allowing any single medium to define him. From Greek theatre and television to international work in the United States, his career has been shaped by persistence, versatility and a strong connection with live performance. Rififi marked a new chapter in that jo