Fans are about to get more of the Portokalos family! On Thursday, the trailer for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 was released, and showed Toula (Nia Vardalos), Ian (John Corbett) and the whole family heading to Greece to reconnect with their roots.
The film, which is due out Sept. 8, is the third in the franchise. My Big Fat Greek Wedding hit theaters in 2002 and followed the life of Toula, a 30-year-old Greek woman living in Chicago, who marries a non-Greek man, Ian, amid her family’s objections.
Then, in 2016, the sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, was released, which saw Toula and Ian navigating their marriage and life with a rebellious teenage daughter who clashes with Greek traditions.
Ahead of the latest installment in the franchise, ET is breaking down all the real-life facts you need to know about this onscreen family.
Nia Vardalos
The actress, who has served as a writer on all three films, is stepping into the role of director for the third installment.
“I loved directing,” she told ET in March. “It was very, very fun because everyone’s like a family.”
In addition to playing Toula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Vardalos has had guest-starring roles on TV shows including Cougar Town, Grey’s Anatomy, Jane the Virgin and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
John Corbett
Aside from starring as the non-Greek Ian in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Corbett is best known for playing Aidan Shaw on Sex and the City. He’s reprising that role on season 2 of HBO Max’s spinoff, And Just Like That, which is set to premiere in June.
“He told me something right before he went to film [AJLT],” Vardalos told ET of Corbett. “He got in really good shape. So, I have a feeling there’s nudity in that. I have a feeling.”
Michael Constantine
After starring in the first two films as Toula’s father, Gus Portokalos, Constantine died in 2021. Before his death, he informed Vardalos that he would be unable to appear in a third film.
“He had told me he wouldn’t be able to join us for the third film and his wish was that we go on,” Vardalos wrote on Instagram in September 2021. “I wrote the screenplay to reflect Michael’s decision and will always treasure his last messages to me.”
Indeed, the trailer for the third film features Toula explaining via voiceover, “My father passed away, and his last wish was for us to visit his childhood village and reconnect with our roots, so, we’re having a reunion. We’re going to Greece!”
Lainie Kazan
Kazan, an Emmy and Tony nominee, is best known for her role of Maria Portokalos, Toula’s mother, in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise. She’s also appeared on TV shows including Will & Grace, The King of Queens, Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy. Her latest acting role came on a 2022 episode of Chicago Med.
Andrea Martin
The SCTV alum, who stars as Aunt Voula in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has appeared on several series including Nurse Jackie, Modern Family and Great News.
Louis Mandylor
In addition to playing Toula’s brother, Nick, in the franchise, Mandylor has appeared on Friends and Castle, as well as in many action flicks. After My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3‘s trailer release, Mandylor wrote on Instagram that he’s “pumped” about the movie and “can’t wait” for its release.
Gia Carides
My Big Fat Greek Wedding‘s cousin, Nikki, also had roles on ER, Twin Peaks, Big Little Lies and 9-1-1.
Joey Fatone
The NSYNC member may be best known for his music, but fans delighted at seeing him star as Cousin Angelo in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise. The role is Fatone’s most high-profile one, but he’s also appeared in TV movies.
On Instagram, Fatone wrote that the making of the latest flick was a “crazy family shoot.”
Elena Kampouris
The 25-year-old actress joined the franchise in its second film, starring as Toula and Ian’s daughter, Paris. Kampouris has been acting since 2012 when she landed her first role on Gossip Girl. She was most recently seen in the 2022 flick, Wifelike, alongside Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Elias Kacavas
The actor is a new addition to the cast for the franchise’s third film, playing Aristotle, a guy that Paris ghosted. Though his first credits just came in 2019, Kacavas has already appeared on TV shows including Euphoria and Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. On Instagram, he called his latest role “the opportunity of a lifetime!!”
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