Athens, April 13, 2025 – Greek-Canadian actress, writer, and director Nia Vardalos has arrived in Athens, Greece, to prepare for her starring role in the Greek premiere of her acclaimed play Tiny Beautiful Things. The production, set to open at the historic Pallas Theatre on May 16, marks Vardalos’s first time performing in Greek on stage, a milestone that blends her Greek heritage with her artistic journey.
Vardalos shared her arrival with her hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers, posting photos of her journey and expressing a mix of excitement and apprehension. “Arriving in Athens, Greece, as the sun is setting on the beautiful, bluest sea,” she wrote. “And now, rehearsals begin for Tiny Beautiful Things, Athens. I am excited and terrified to perform in Greek onstage for the first time. But that little feeling of working outside one’s comfort zone is exactly what we are supposed to do. Here we go!”
The play, a theatrical adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling book, compiles real letters from Strayed’s time as the anonymous advice columnist “Sugar,” exploring themes of human strength and resilience with humor and tenderness. Originally premiered Off-Broadway in 2016 under the direction of Thomas Kail, it has seen success across the U.S. and internationally, including in the Philippines, Mexico, and Australia. A Hulu miniseries based on the book aired in 2023. This Athens production, co-directed by Vardalos and Spyros Katsaganis—who also translated the play into Greek—will feature Vardalos alongside Greek actors Dimitris Papanikolaou, Danae Loukaki, and Dimitris Kitsos.
In a prior interview with Gala, Vardalos explained her decision to bring the play to Greece. “Since I first presented it in New York in 2016, the play has been performed in many countries, so I thought, why not Greece? And why not in Greek?” She admitted that performing in Greek was “definitely daunting,” but added, “As an artist, I believe we must dare to step out of our comfort zones.” She also shared her fascination with the book’s real letters from everyday people seeking guidance, which inspired her to adapt it for the stage. “I know that we Greeks are particularly emotional as a people, which is a wonderful thing,” she said. “My goal is to share these stories.”
Born Antonia Eugenia Vardalos in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1962, Vardalos has long drawn inspiration from her Greek heritage. Her parents immigrated from Molaoi and Kalavryta in the Peloponnese to Canada, where they met and married. Growing up, Sundays meant church followed by lively family breakfasts, and she fondly recalls her grandmother Evgenia rolling out dough for spanakopita while sharing stories of village life. “I’d say my personality is 100% Greek,” Vardalos told Gala. “I love good food, I speak loudly, I’m very emotional, I work hard, and of course, I believe every word has Greek roots.”
Vardalos rose to global fame with My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which she wrote and starred in, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay in 2003. The film, inspired by her family life, became a cultural touchstone, followed by sequels and other projects like Connie and Carla and I Hate Valentine’s Day. She also co-wrote Larry Crowne with Tom Hanks. Despite her success, Vardalos remains grounded in her roots, maintaining close ties with Greek friends in Los Angeles, including Alexander Payne, Billy Zane, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, and Ted Sarandos, with whom she celebrates Easter annually at the home of Ann and Jim Giannopoulos.
Reflecting on her career, Vardalos credits a theatre teacher in Toronto for encouraging her to create her own material, leading to her breakthrough at Second City. Her life motto—“No matter how many ‘nos’ you hear, one ‘yes’ will always be enough”—proved true when Hanks and Wilson greenlit My Big Fat Greek Wedding after many rejections. Looking ahead, she hopes to produce more films, write new roles, and possibly stage a musical in Greece.
As rehearsals begin at the Pallas Theatre, Vardalos is eager to embrace Athens. She told Gala her first plan is “a dinner under the Attic sky with a view of Athens, loud music, and all my loved ones around me.” For now, she’s focused on bringing Tiny Beautiful Things to life, inviting Greek audiences to experience its universal stories with open hearts.