Mandy Griffiths
It’s been 13 years since “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” became the highest grossing romantic comedy film of all time.
After resisting the urge to jump on the sequel bandwagon, Toula and her entire family (and some new generation additions) are back and more Greek than ever.
We caught up with writer and star Nia Vardalos when she was in Melbourne for the premiere.
Do you feel quite embraced by the Australian Greek community here?
Nia: It’s very nice! It’s really nice, it’s like a lovely hug.
Your film is obviously set in North America but it seems to have resonated across the oceans.
Nia: Well I did find out that it is not a Greek family to most of the world, they see their own family in it, and that was really astonishing for me because I thought that the customs and traditions of my family were my own Greek-ocity. It was surprising to me – no – Japanese girls feel the same way, Swedish girls feel the same way. It’s very surprising.
You and John Corbett have amazing chemistry, was it hard to slip back into that after 13 years?
Nia: No because we’re really good friends and I think what keeps our chemistry alive is that we don’t explore it further off-screen [laughs].
There was a lot of interest in a sequel after the success of the first film in 2002 but you were very hesitant, can you share with us why?
Nia: After the success of the first movie I was trying constantly to become a Mom. And when that didn’t happen for me I thought there is no way I can write a sequel when I don’t know the feelings of motherhood. And then my [adopted] daughter came along, and oh my God, I realised I am my Mom. I started making her moussaka and putting it in her lunch at school and she was like ‘Mom get away!’ [laughs].
Are you going to make us wait another 13 years before you give us another sequel?
Nia: I promise I will not! I am actually quite open to continuing the trilogy because the audience has embraced this film so lovingly. I was so surprised. When they made the announcement, I didn’t know it was coming, and the response was overwhelming. You know what, I just need to spend five minutes with my family and I will come up with an idea for the third.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 is in Australian cinemas 24 March 2016.
