My Big Fat Greek Wedding star Michael Constantine dies
My Big Fat Greek Wedding star Michael Constantine has died at the age of 94.
The actor passed away at his home in Reading, Pennsylvania on 31 August following a long illness, his agent announced on Wednesday.
Constantine was perhaps best known for his portrayal of Kostas "Gus" Portokalos, the Windex bottle-toting Greek father of Toula Portokalos, as played by Nia Vardalos, in 2002 movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and its 2016 sequel, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2.
Accordingly, Vardalos led tributes to Constantine by posting an emotional message about her former acting colleague on her social media accounts on Thursday.
"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," she captioned a happy photo of the film's cast sharing a meal. "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."
Born Gus Efstratiou in 1927, Constantine was the son of Greek immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania. He launched his acting career in the mid-1950s with various performances on the New York stage, and later earned acclaim for his TV work, including his portrayal of long-suffering high school principal, Seymour Kaufman, on ABC comedy-drama Room 222, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1970.
In addition, he made appearances in shows such as The Love Boat, Sirota's Court, and Perry Mason.
