Michael Constantine, a renowned Greek-American actor, was born Constantine Joanides on May 22, 1927, in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Greek parents Andromache (Fotiadou) and Theoharis Ioannides, a steel worker.
He began his career on Broadway, making his debut as part of the ensemble of the hit play "Inherit the Wind" in 1955. During the play's run, he managed to work his way up into the part of "Conklin".
Constantine's next appearance on the Great White Way was in "Compulsion", a dramatization of the Leopold & Loeb trial, in which he played three parts. The show had a modest run of 140 performances in the 1957-58 season.
He was part of the opening-night cast of the hit play "The Miracle Worker" in 1959, appearing in the role of "Anagnos". The play ran for 719 performances, but his next play, "The Egg", was a flop.
Constantine's last turn on Broadway was in Tony Richardson's staging of Bertolt Brecht's "Arturo Ui". He played the character "Dogsborough" in support of Christopher Plummer's "Arturo Ui". It was a one-week flop, lasting but eight performances.
He made his motion picture debut in "The Last Mile" in 1959, and began appearing in television in 1958. He appeared in teleplays on the omnibus television anthologies "Armstrong Circle Theatre" and "Play of the Week", and made numerous guest appearances on TV series.
Constantine's portrayal of principal Seymour Kaufman in the series "Room 222" earned him a 1970 Emmy Award as Best Supporting Actor. He also received a second Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for the role.
He remained steadily employed in television and film, appearing in productions such as "The Hustler", "If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium", and "Don't Drink the Water". His star-turn in the short-lived series "Sirota's Court" earned him a second Golden Globe nomination.
Constantine's most iconic role was as the Windex bottle-toting family patriarch "Gus Portokalos" in the sleeper hit "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" in 2002. He passed away in August 2021 at the age of 94.
