Efi Papatheodorou was born in Sitaralona (Aetolia-Arcanania) in 1938 and was the second child of doctor Thanos Papatheodorou and his wife Panagiota (née Papaioannou). During the occupation, her father supported the resistance, joining the National Liberation Front (EAM) and later the Greek People's Liberation Army (ELAS). For this reason, the family had to relocate from the partisan-controlled areas of Aetolia-Acarnania and live in hiding. Efi was confronted with many difficulties and lived with several Jewish families who were evacuated from Agrinio with the help of the EAM. After 1945, the family was subject to political persecution on the basis of her father's activities and his leftist sentiments. Today, Efi Papatheodorou is one of the most famous actresses in Greece.