‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ writer and star Nia Vardalos visits Pittsburgh
Nia Vardalos, the writer and star of the 2002 smash hit ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding,’ visited Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 studios on Friday
PITTSBURGH —
Ahead of her appearance at this weekend’s Steel City Con, Nia Vardalos, the Academy Award-nominated writer and star of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” visited Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 studios.
During Friday’s visit, Vardalos explained that she’s going to donate proceeds from her appearance at the convention at the Monroeville Convention Center to adoption groups to get kids into forever homes, something she’s been doing since writing her book “Instant Mom.”
Vardalos also reflected on the success of “Wedding,” describing how it came together first by her betting on herself and later with a little help from Hollywood power couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson.
“The very kernel of this entire story is that when you can’t get a job, just call yourself,” she said. “Because I just put myself on stage and did the show trying to get an agent. The agents never came. I got my movie made by doing it as a solo show. It always says ‘based on a one-woman show,’ but it’s not true. The movie came first. It was rejected by every studio. Then I got on stage, did it as a solo show, and Rita Wilson came to the show, she sent Tom Hanks to the very next show and then they produced the screenplay based on my life.”
You can learn more about Vardalos’ appearance at Steel City Con here.