Elias Koteas is a Hellene - Canadian actor of film and television, best known for his roles in The Prophecy, Fallen and the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles films. Koteas was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, to a father who worked as a mechanic for the Canadian National Railways and a milliner mother. His parents are both of Greek descent, and he is a fluent Greek speaker. Koteas attended Vanier College in Montreal before leaving to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York in 1981, of which he is a 1983 graduate. He was a member of the Academy's 1983–84... Production Company. He also attended the Actors Studio in New York City, where he studied acting under Ellen Burstyn and Peter Masterson. During his early years, Koteas washed dishes and bussed tables in New York for $1 an hour. At the time, he was not a U.S. citizen and therefore was not allowed to work in that country. While at the AADA, Koteas played Father Rangier in the school's production of The Devils adapted by John Whiting from the Aldous Huxley novel. He was also Paris in The Golden Apple, a musical by John Latouche and Jerome Moross.
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