Greek director-actor Andreas Voutsinas dies at 79

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Greek stage director and actor Andreas Voutsinas, who served as acting coach to several Hollywood stars including Jane Fonda, has died. He was 79.

Voutsinas died Tuesday in an Athens hospital, according to a Greek Culture Ministry statement.

Born in Khartoum, Sudan, in 1931, Voutsinas played parts in films such as Mel Brooks’ ‘The Producers’ (as Carmen Ghia) and ‘History of the World: Part 1’ (as Bearnaise) as well as Luc Besson’s ‘The Big Blue.’

He directed Fonda in the brief 1962 Broadway show ‘The Fun Couple,’ later describing her as ‘the only great love of my life.’

Voutsinas also coached Faye Dunaway, Warren Beatty and Anne Bancroft.

-- Associated Press

[For the record, 12:09 p.m. June 14: An earlier version of this post misspelled Anne Bancroft’s first name as Ann.]