FAMOUS CANADIANS:
NIA VARDALOS
Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada on September 24, 1962, Antonia Eugenia Vardalos is most widely known for her starring role in My Big Fat Greek Wedding in 2002. She goes by the shortened version of her first and middle names, Nia. • Vardalos has always had an outgoing personality. She started performing at the Rainbow Stage, a local theater company. Her work there helped her secure a scholarship to Ryerson University in Toronto in 1986. • In 1988, Vardalos joined Toronto’s Second City theater troupe. She moved to Chicago’s famous Second City troupe shortly after. From there she settled in Los Angeles and started landing bit parts on sitcoms, including The Drew Carey Show. She also had a good role on Team Knight Rider. • Vardalos’ biggest success, so far, was when her one-woman play, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, became a hit independent film in 2002. She drew on her eccentric Greek upbringing and stories from her Greek friends, to write the play. When actress Rita Wilson and her husband, Tom Hanks, agreed to back her film it became the surprise hit of the year. With only a $5 million budget, small compared to most hits, the film drew record numbers of viewers by word-of-mouth with hardly any television or billboard advertising. • CBS ran a sitcom to follow the movie in February, 2003, called My Big Greek Life. It featured many from the movie’s cast but only had a brief run.
FRI • SAT • SUN - APRIL 25, 26, 27
RALPH ENGELSTAD ARENA, GRAND FORKS FRIDAY, APRIL 25 • 3:00 pm, 7:00 pm SATURDAY, APRIL 26 • 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, 7:00 pm SUNDAY, APRIL 27 • 2:00 pm, 6:00 pm
SUMMER PROGRAMS and EVENTS MAY 15 - AUGUST 15
• Vardalos has had other successes in writing and acting, including Connie and Carla and I Hate Valentine’s Day. She starred in My Life in Ruins, and co-wrote Larry Crowne, with Tom Hanks.
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