Michael Constantine
My Big Fat Greek Wedding patriarch has died
Michael Constantine in his role as Gus Portokalos.
© imago images / Everett Collection
Michael Constantine died at the age of 94. He played Gus Portokalos in the cult film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”.
Michael Constantine died of natural causes on August 31st at the age of 94. This has now been confirmed by a spokeswoman for the US actor with Greek roots, including the industry portal “Deadline”. Constantine, who passed away in his Reading home, will forever be remembered by his fans for one role in particular.
The actor was born in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1927. The son of a Greek immigrant made his first appearances as a theater actor on Broadway in 1955. After his film debut in 1959, he was seen two years later in “Haie der Großstadt” with Paul Newman (1925-2008). Subsequently, Constantine was mainly seen on TV, for his leading role in the series “Room 222” he was honored with an Emmy Award in 1970.
The actor’s greatest film success followed in 2002: In “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” he played the spirited family patriarch Gus Portokalos. The romantic comedy about a Greek family clan was a surprise success and grossed around 369 million US dollars worldwide. Constantine also played his role in the television series of the same name and in the cinema sequel “My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” from 2016.