Nico Mastorakis - Later Career

Later Career

Unable to work in public television after the junta, 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.