Emmy-award winning actor Michael Constantine, perhaps most widely beloved for his role as Gus Portokalos in the smash hit “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” has died at age 94.
According to numerous reports, Constantine died on August 31 at his home in Reading, Pennsylvania. He died of natural causes, his agent, Julia Buchwald, told the New York Times.
Constantine won an Emmy in 1970 for his role in the TV series “Room 222” and starred in various productions over many decades before landing the role of Gus, the Windex–toting father of Toula Portokalos, in the 2002 film.
Born Constantine Ioannides on May 22, 1927, in Reading, PA, to Greek immigrants, Constantine began his career on the Broadway stage before landing his first film role in “The Last Mile” (1959).
Constantine’s most notable film appearances include “The Hustler” (1961) with Paul Newman, Stephen King’s “Thinner” (1996) and “Voyage of the Damn” (1976). The Pennsylvania native also made appearances on various television series including “Law & Order,” “Murder She Wrote,” “MacGyver,” “Magnum P.I.,” “The Love Boat,” “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” and “The Twilight Zone.”
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding” came as a surprise international hit, grossing $360 million worldwide and becoming one of the highest-grossing romantic comedies in history.
Constantine’s former co-star Nia Vardalos described him as “the dad to our cast-family, a gift to the written word, and always a friend” in a Twitter post on Wednesday.
