Nia Vardalos is a Canadian actress, screenwriter, producer, and director. She is best known for starring in and writing the romantic comedy film My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), which garnered her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.
Vardalos was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to Greek-Canadian parents. She studied theater at the University of Toronto and the Second City improv troupe in Chicago. She began her career as a stand-up comedian and appeared in several television shows, including The Drew Carey Show and Suddenly Susan.
In 2002, Vardalos wrote and starred in the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which was a huge commercial success. The film was based on her own experiences growing up in a Greek-American family. Vardalos won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Vardalos has since starred in several other films, including Connie and Carla (2004), I Hate Valentine’s Day (2009), and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016). She has also written and directed several films, including My Life in Ruins (2009) and Larry Crowne (2011).
What happened between Nia Vardalos and Ian Gomez?
Nia Vardalos and Ian Gomez announced their separation in July 2018 after 25 years of marriage. The couple said in a joint statement that they had been separated for some time and that the decision to divorce was amicable. The divorce was finalized two months later.
In court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Ian Gomez filed his response to her divorce filing on Thursday in Los Angeles. Like Vardalos, the actor, 53, cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split. Vardalos is a successful actress and writer, while Gomez is primarily an actor.
It’s clear that Vardalos and Gomez are committed to co-parenting their daughter, Ilaria. They have said that they will continue to work together to raise their daughter and that they remain friends.
Was Nia Vardalos on Grey’s Anatomy?
Nia Vardalos was on Grey’s Anatomy. She guest-starred in the season 8 episode “Hope for the Hopeless” as Karen Winterbottom, a woman who is diagnosed with cancer. Vardalos’s character was a single mother who was trying to raise her son while going through cancer treatment. She was eventually given a clean bill of health.
Vardalos’s appearance on Grey’s Anatomy was a promotional tie-in for her film My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, which was released in theaters the same month as the episode aired.