The third installment in the franchise is now out in theaters.
Fans are about to get more of the Portokalos family; My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is finally out in theaters!
The film, which premiered on Sept. 8, is the third in the franchise and follows Toula (Nia Vardalos), Ian (John Corbett) and the whole family as they head to Greece to honor their late patriarch (Michael Constantine as Gus Portokalos)'s final wish: for the entire family to visit his childhood village and reconnect with their roots.
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 (Elena Kampouris) who clashes with Greek traditions.
Vardalos took to Instagram to announce they were filming the new movie in June 2022, after photos of the cast began circulating online.
"I have an announcement," Vardalos began in the video shared to her feed. "We are in Greece, filming My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, and thank you so much for the lovely messages of just waiting and everything. I'm in a little room, getting ready to go down and film."
Vardalos then gave fans a look at the film's location in Athens, Greece, before revealing that she's not only starring in the film, but she's also directing My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. "I'll show you a part of it. We're filming in the beautiful Plaka of Athens," the 60-year-old actress shared. "Oh, I want to teach you your first Greek word, which is e-ski̱nothéti̱s, and what that means is director. And guess who the director is? Me!"
Vardalos thanked her producers in the caption as well as fans for their support as they waited to film the third chapter in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding series.
"Thank you to Playtone, Gold Circle, HBO and Focus! And much love and gratitude to you all for your support as we waited to film. Greece baby. Greece! 🇬🇷 🎥 #Mybigfatgreekwedding3," she captioned the clip.
Keep scrolling to read ET's breakdown of all the real-life facts you need to know about this onscreen family.
Nia Vardalos
Vardalos, who has served as a writer on all three films, stepped 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."
Although this was her first time behind the camera for the franchise, she said there was no issue with taking the lead on set. "I kind of thought they'd be like, 'No.' Because it's like directing your cousins," she admitted. "But they were wonderful."
While Vardalos didn't want to tease anything about the film, her friend, Johnny O'Callaghan, jumped in to say that "she's gonna be here next year nominated" for an Oscar after seeing an early edit of the sequel. "I thought it was very emotional and touching. The subject matters she deals with in this is very different because it's set in Greece," he said.
"It's a very profound story and she's also pushing many boundaries," the actor continued.
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 reprised that role on season 2 of HBO Max's spinoff, And Just Like That.
"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."
ET premiered an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, in which the 62-year-old actor praised the actress, writer and director for her work on the upcoming film.
"She's telling the cameraman what to do, and the guy with the sound, and us actors, and she's acting also, so it's a 10-ring circus -- not a three-ring circus. I haven't seen her get close to cracking," Corbett marveled. "... I don't know how she does that. I don't know how she doesn't go berserk, but she's really good at it."
The actor also gushed about what a joy it was to reunite with the rest of the cast. "It's like people you go to high school with," Corbett said. "You leave home and you go back home once a year or every few years and you bump into those people, and 20 or 30 years have passed, and you just pick right up."
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!"
"We of course lost Michael Constantine in the same year that I lost my dad, and I decided to just channel grief through my fingertips," Vardalos explained in ET's exclusive behind-the-scenes look at My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. "It's hard for me to even speak of him in past tense, because he's so much a part of us."
While Constantine isn't in the franchise's third installment, Joey Fatone decided to honor the late actor by getting a tattoo in his memory. "We feel his energy," Fatone, who plays Angelo, shared. "He's in the story, and now it's on my leg."
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!!"
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 is now out in theaters.
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