Greek model and actor Alexis Pappas has pushed back against being described as Albanian, making clear in interviews that...

Greek model and actor Alexis Pappas has pushed back against being described as Albanian, making clear in interviews that he identifies as Greek and considers Northern Epirus, the region where he was born, to be Greek territory. Pappas said journalists put him in an uncomfortable position by asking questions like "How does it feel to be from Albania?" He rejected that framing entirely, saying it did not reflect how he understands his own background. Born on February 10, 1986, in Northern Epirus, he moved with his family to Athens at age four and grew up there, raised with Greek language, traditions, and values. The distinction matters to him personally. Northern Epirus refers to areas of what is today southern Albania, a region tied to a longstanding Greek minority community whose rights, including Greek-language education and property rights, Greece has officially advocated for in diplomatic relations with Albania. Before becoming a recognizable face in Greek television and celebrity culture, Pappas trained as an electrician and refrigeration technician. He entered the modeling industry in 2008 and built an international career across New York, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro, working with brands including Guess, Davidoff, Mont Blanc, and Diesel. That work eventually led him into acting and television, where he appeared in the series 8 Lexes and gained wide Greek audience recognition through Survivor Greece and The Bachelor. Pappas has said repeatedly that he wants his position to be clear: he is Greek, born in Northern Epirus, and proud of those roots. #NorthernEpirus #Greece #GreekIdentity