Nia Vardalos is best known as the star of the highest-grossing independent feature film in history, “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”.
Discoered by Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks, who expressed interest in producing a film from her original screenplay, Vardalos went on to star in the leading role. Vardalos garnered an Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Screenplay”, a Golden Globe nomination for “Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Motion Picture”, a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for “Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture”, a Writers Guild Award nomination for “Best Original Screenplay” and an Independent Spirit Award nomination for “Best Debut Performance”. Considered the most successful romantic comedy of all time, the film also recently won a People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Comedy Motion Picture”.
Vardalos recently completed shooting her next film, “Connie and Carla”, for Universal Pictures and Spyglass Entertainment. Vardalos wrote the film and stars in it along with Toni Colette and David Duchovny.
An alumnus of The Second City Comedy Theater in Toronto and Chicago, Vardalos performed and wrote twelve reviews and won Chicago’s Jeff Award for Best Actress. Earlier this year she starred in and co-executive produced the CBS series “My Big Fat Greek Life”. She has guest starred in several television series including “The Drew Carey Show” and “Two Guys and a Girl” and has had roles in several feature films. A native of Winnipeg, Vardalos (born Antonia Eugenia Vardalos) lives in Los Angeles with her husband, actor Ian Gomez.