Nia Vardalos

Antonia Eugenia “Nia” Vardalos was born on September 24, 1962, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Her parents were Doreen Christakos, a bookkeeper, and Constantine “Gus” Vardalos, a land developer. Vardalos began her career in comedy, performing in more than ten revues with the Chicago-based Second City comedy repertory company. Her early work also included small roles in television shows such as ‘The Drew Carey Show’ and ‘Two Guys and a Girl’, alongside voice work for the 1996 radio adaptation of ‘Star Wars: Return of the Jedi’.

Vardalos gained significant recognition for writing and starring in the 2002 romantic comedy film ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’. This film, originally a one-woman stage show, became a critical and commercial success, earning her an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. The film’s success established her as a prominent figure in the entertainment industry. She subsequently hosted ‘Saturday Night Live’ in 2002.

Her career continued with writing, directing, and acting roles in projects such as ‘Connie and Carla’ (2004), where she also showcased her singing and dancing abilities, and her directorial debut ‘I Hate Valentine’s Day’ (2009). Vardalos co-wrote ‘Larry Crowne’ (2011) with Tom Hanks and voiced a character in the film. She reprised her role as Toula Portokalos in ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2’ (2016) and ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’ (2023), also directing and writing the latter. Beyond her film work, Vardalos has appeared in various television series, including ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,’ ‘DuckTales,’ and ‘Chucky,’ and has co-hosted ‘The Great American Baking Show’. She is also an author, known for her New York Times bestselling book ‘Instant Mom,’ which details her adoption journey.