Nia Vardalos

Photograph by Krista Niles and thanks to Mark for alerting me to Ms. Vardalos' radio participation!

Nia Vardalos (born Antonia Eugenia Vardalos) was born on September 24, 1962 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada where she spent her early childhood performing, as early as six.  The family moved to Toronto where she attended theatre school, Shaftesbury High School (graduating in 1980 and in 2002 was inducted onto the school's Wall of Fame) and work went on to study at Ryerson University's School of Acting (Toronto) with a scholarship in 1986.

Vardalos made her start at the Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg which enabled her to get a scholarship to Ryerson University to study acting.  She got a job after graduating at the Second City box office in 1988 and worked for two years in that position while learning the sketches that were being performed at the time.  One of the actresses fell ill and Vardalos convinced the management that she knew the material and to let her fill in.  She did so well that Second City hired her as a performer.  It wasn't too long after this that she found herself in Chicago with Second City.

Vardalos moved to Los Angeles with her husband, Ian Gomez.  They both found a little work here and there but Gomez lucked out with a part on The Drew Carey Show.  Vardalos kept moving forward and found herself on stage telling the audience about her family from some material she written.  Then she was able to get the material into play form and created My Big Fat Greek Wedding for theatre in 2000.  At one performance Rita Wilson (Tom Hanks' wife) was in the audience, after seeing a small ad for the play in the newspaper, and enjoyed it so much Mr. Hanks came to see it the very next night.  Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks convinced Vardalos that a movie should be made, it was.  Vardalos, within a few short weeks, was the hot ticket of the year for a film that she wrote, directed and acted.  My Big Fat Greek Wedding became the highest grossing independent film of all time in 2002 and had out profited The Mummy by millions of dollars.

Vardalos is married to actor Ian Gomez (1993 - present) and they currently live in Southern California.

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