Nia Vardalos Interview About My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

“Any child of immigrants rebels against tradition,” says Nia Vardalos, “and then we morph into our parents and become immersed in them all.” For the star, director, writer, and executive producer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 (in theaters in September), that process included recognizing her connection to the country her family left. “It felt like a disservice to not have that in a movie,” she said (we spoke prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike). So in the latest installment they are off—and arrive just in time. “Normally,” Vardalos says, “the first part of the movie would be them preparing for this trip. We get there in about eight minutes.”

l to r nia vardalos stars as toula and john corbett stars as ian in director nia vardalos my big fat greek wedding 3, a focus features release courtesy of yannis drakoulidis focus features

Courtesy Yannis Drakoulidis/Focus Features

The Blue and the White

Legendary costume designer Colleen Atwood served as visual consultant on the film, and Vardalos asked her to integrate Greek jewelry into the characters’ looks as they settled into laid-back island life. Vardalos wears Ilias Lalaounis in some scenes, as well as traditional evil eyes by Lorraine Schwartz. There were Greek shoppers on set who brought in local designers, as well as ones from the Greek diaspora. Also, Vardalos asked the costumers to remove every character’s wristwatch. “I described the colors of Greece, and also how it feels there,” she says. “I wanted the grays of Chicago to melt into pastels and reds, as if the characters were shedding layers—and their troubles.”

l to r elena kampouris as paris, elias kacavas as aristotle, andrea martin as aunt voula, nia vardalos as toula, louis mandylor as nick, and john corbett as ian in director nia vardalos my big fat greek wedding 3, a focus features release courtesy of yannis drakoulidis focus features

Courtesy Yannis Drakoulidis/Focus Features

OPA, She Wrote

There is, in fact—though no spoilers here—a Greek wedding in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, and there’s Greek music, too! “As soon as the family lands in Greece,” Vardalos says, “you hear only Greek songs. We licensed classic and modern pieces, and even something from an unsigned duo.”

l to r john corbett as ian, maria vacratsis as aunt frieda, melina kotselou as victory, nia vardalos as toula, elena kampouris as paris, andrea martin as aunt voula, and elias kacavas as aristotle in director nia vardalos my big fat greek wedding 3, a focus features release courtesy of yannis drakoulidis focus features

Courtesy Yannis Drakoulidis/Focus Features

But Do They Make Lamb?

Devoted fans of the first film might remember that Theia Voula (she of “bibopsy” fame) is from the island of Mykonos, but the exact origins of the rest of the Portokalos family remain deliberately unclear. “We filmed on several different islands and in Athens,” Vardalos says, “but I didn’t want to say the family was from a specific island. This way everyone watching can feel like maybe they’re from their island.” It is in many ways, she says, a story of migration, past and present. “No one leaves a great situation. My dad sought a better life. People left and then sent for their family. That’s the immigrant story.”

This story appears in the September 2023 issue of Town & Country. SUBSCRIBE NOW