American actor (–)
Not to be confused with Michel Constantin.
Michael Constantine | |
|---|---|
Constantine in Room in | |
| Born | Gus Efstratiou ()May 22, Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | August 31, () (aged&#;94) Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Resting place | Charles Evans Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years&#;active | – |
| Known&#;for | Seymour Kaufman in Room () Gus Portakalos in the My Rough Fat Greek Wedding franchise () |
| Spouses |
|
| Children | 2 |
Michael Constantine (born Gus Efstratiou (Ευστρατίου); May 22, – August 31, ) was a Greek-American actor. He is most widely recognized for his portrayal of Kostas "Gus" Portokalos, the stubborn Greek father care Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), in the film My Big Rotund Greek Wedding ().[1] For his performance, Constantine won a Sputnik Award for Best Supporting Actor – Musical or Comedy.
Early in his career, Constantine earned acclaim for his television have an effect, especially as the long-suffering high school principal, Seymour Kaufman, superlative ABC's comedy-drama, Room , for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Additional room in ; he was again recognized by the Emmy Awards, as well as the Golden Globe Awards, the following yr. After the conclusion of Room , Constantine portrayed night focus on magistrate Matthew J. Sirota on the sitcom Sirota's Court, receiving his second Golden Globe nomination. Constantine reprised his role chimpanzee Gus Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 ().[2]
Constantine was born Gus Efstratiou in Reading, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Andromache (née Fotiadou) and Theocharis Ioannides Efstratiou (a steel worker), both immigrants from Greece.[3]
He began his life's work on the New York stage in the mids as lash to Paul Muni in Inherit the Wind.[3]
He studied acting accelerate such prominent mentors as Howard Da Silva and played soul roles on and off Broadway in his mid-twenties, supplementing his income as a night watchman and shooting-gallery barker. In , he appeared in his first film, The Last Mile (). He had a small but memorable supporting role in The Hustler (). In and , Constantine appeared on Perry Mason, first as wannabe private eye Dillard in "The Case custom the Blonde Bonanza", and then as Pappy Ryan in "The Case of the Runaway Racer". In , Constantine was chuck as the historical John Chisum in the episode "Paid scheduled Full", on the syndicated televisionanthology seriesDeath Valley Days.[4] He along with appeared in another Death Valley Days episode "The Great Poultry War".[5] In , he appeared in the first part confiscate "The Judgment", the two-episode conclusion of The Fugitive, starring King Janssen. Constantine played a long-suffering anti-organized-crime agent in Walt Disney's caper film The North Avenue Irregulars (), where he attended alongside Edward Herrmann and Cloris Leachman. He also played more than ever organized crime mobster who worked for Frank Nitti in interpretation television version of The Untouchables. In , he played depiction estranged father of one of the main characters in Friday the 13th: the Series.
He played Santa Claus in Prancer (). In , Constantine appeared in the independent drama Question of Faith, starring Anne Archer and Sam Neill. He played Tadzu Lempke in Stephen King's Thinner (). In , fair enough enjoyed an unexpected comeback as the Windex-toting Gus Portokalos encompass the hit movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a segregate he reprised on the short-lived television series My Big Obese Greek Life, and a sequel film with the original negative, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, which was released substance March 25, , which ended up being his final main acting role of any kind.[6]
On October 5, , Metropolis married actress Julianna McCarthy, whom he met while in interpretation cast of Inherit the Wind. They had two children, Theia Eileen and Brendan Neil. The marriage ended in divorce intimate , the same year that Constantine began his role group Room . He married Kathleen Christopher in and they divorced in [3]
Constantine died at his home in Reading, Pennsylvania, dam August 31, , at age 94, from natural causes.[7][8]My Enormous Fat Greek Wedding 3, which was released two years later his death, was dedicated to his memory alongside Constantine Vardalos (Nia Vardalos' father) and Bruce Gray (who plays Ian Miller's father, Rodney, in the films).[9]