Michael Constantine, the man who brought Gus Portokalos to life in the two My Big Fat Greek Wedding movies, has sadly passed away at the age of 94.
His agent Julia Buchwald confirmed the news to Deadline, explaining he died on August 31 from natural causes.
Constantine was a beloved figure in the world of entertainment with a career in both film and television that spanned decades. He was also an Emmy Award winner, recognised for his role on Room 222 back in the 70s.
But it was his iconic role as the Windex-toting, patriarch who could hilariously trace the origin of every word back to the Greek language in the 2002 rom-com My Big Fat Greek Wedding which really cemented his icon status.
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Actress and filmmaker Nia Vardalos, who played his on-screen daughter in the film shared words of love for him on Instagram:
“Michael Constantine, the dad of our cast-family, a gift to the written word, and always a friend. Acting with him came with a rush of love and fun. I will treasure this man who brought Gus to life. He gave us so much laughter and deserves a rest now. We love you Michael.”
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Actress, singer and producer Rita Wilson who was instrumental in getting the movie off the ground and also took part in the sequel, is remembering Constantine as the “kindest person.”
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“He had time for everyone, and when you were with him, he made you feel like you were the only person in the room. He will be with us forever in our hearts and our future generations who will watch his work. If Gus Portokalos were here he may say that the origin of the word ‘forever’ is Greek. Because in Greek ‘forever’ is ‘Yia Panda’ and what bear lives for a very long time? Yeah, Panda! There you go!”
My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 was Constantine’s final onscreen appearance.
(Feature Image Credit: Featureflash Photo Agency/Shutterstock.com)