Biography for
Nia Vardalos (I) More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

24 September 1962, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Birth Name

Antonia Eugenia Vardalos

Height

5' 6" (1.68 m)

Spouse

Ian Gomez

(5 September 1993 - present) 1 child

Trivia

Married NY-born TV actor Ian Gomez in Winnipeg's St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church.

Named after her grandmothers Eugenia and Antonia.

Her one-woman play "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was turned into a movie after Rita Wilson saw the play and recommended it to her husband Tom Hanks.

Graduated From Ryerson University's School Of Acting

Was a vegetarian for eleven years before her family wore her down.

Is an alumna of The Second City.

Became a naturalized U.S. citizen on April 20, 1999.

Adopted a little girl in 2008.

She was nominated for a 1994 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Revue for "Whitewater for Chocolate" at the Second City Theatre in Chicago, Illinois.

Personal Quotes

You're never too fat for a new purse.

I'd been raised by my parents who taught me not to think you're better than you are. And that I think is what Larry Crowne is going through. [He] will do anything to make a living, and that is indicative I think globally, and much more so in this country. People are just trying to get by. There's a relevance to 'Larry Crowne' that's fortunate and unfortunate. This is not a downer movie, this is an uplifting movie and yet it is not out of the realm of ordinary. It's what can happen if you keep your heart open.

When I worked at 'Second City' in Canada, they brought me down to Chicago on a work permit. I was thrilled to be in Chicago. What I didn't know is that you only make $65 a show. I was a child of immigrants, so everyone worked. I had a job at 16. And although I didn't like that I'm very, very grateful for that now because it taught me to be self-supporting. It's not like suddenly, when you become a working actor all your friends are in the same situation. I have friends who are still handing out flyers for their one-woman show and trying to make ends meet.

Salary

My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

$150,000(acting)