Ian Gomez's Return To The Big Screen In My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3

Ian Gomez played Mike, Ian Miller's best friend and co-worker, in the first My Big Fat Greek Wedding film. In the second film, his character marries one of Toula's cousins and becomes part of the extended family. However, Gomez and Nia Vardalos, who played Toula, separated in real life after the second film's release. Gomez is not in the third film, which was released in 2023.

Ian Gomez played Mike, Ian Miller's best friend in the first film

Ian Gomez played Mike, Ian Miller's best friend, in the first My Big Fat Greek Wedding film. The 2002 romantic comedy was directed by Joel Zwick and written by Nia Vardalos, who also starred as Toula Portokalos.

Gomez's character, Mike, is a fellow teacher and the unofficial best man at the wedding of Ian Miller (John Corbett) and Portokalos. The film is based on Vardalos's own experiences, including her marriage to Gomez, who converted to Greek Orthodoxy for her. The couple separated in 2018 after 25 years of marriage and have a daughter together.

Gomez has appeared in several other films and TV shows, including The Drew Carey Show, Felicity, Cougar Town, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. He also appeared in the first sequel to My Big Fat Greek Wedding but was not featured in the third film, despite expressing a desire to return to the franchise.

Mike and Ian Miller meet Toula in her family's restaurant

Mike, Ian's best friend, is played by Ian Gomez in the first two films. However, Gomez does not appear in the third film. In the third film, the Miller family, including Ian, Toula, and their daughter Paris, travel to Greece for a family reunion following the death of Toula's father Gus.

Mike marries one of Toula's cousins in the second film

In the second film, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2", Mike (Ian Gomez) marries one of Toula's cousins. Mike is Ian's best friend and his character undergoes a career change in the second film, switching from being a teacher to working in law enforcement.

Mike is played by Ian Gomez, who was married to the film's writer, Nia Vardalos, at the time of filming. The character of Mike is based on Ian Gomez himself, as the film is based on Vardalos' experience of marrying a non-Greek man.

The film follows Toula and Ian's life years after the first film. They now have a 17-year-old daughter, Paris, who is applying to colleges. Paris feels smothered by her close-knit family and wants to gain some independence and privacy. Meanwhile, Toula's father, Gus, discovers that his and Maria's marriage certificate was never signed by the priest, technically invalidating their union. He insists that they must marry again, but Maria wants him to propose properly. The family secret brings the beloved characters back together for an even bigger and "Greek-er" wedding.

Ian Gomez was married to Nia Vardalos, who wrote the films

Gomez and Vardalos were married for over 20 years and had one daughter, Ilaria, whom they adopted in 2008. In 2018, the couple announced they were divorcing, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split. In a joint statement, they said:

> "We've been respectfully separated for a lengthy period of time. Our relationship became a friendship so the decision to end the marriage is completely mutual and amicable... It is our hope that decency will prevail on the reporting of this story which will soon be yesterday's news. Thank you for respecting our privacy."

Despite their divorce, Gomez has expressed interest in working with his ex-wife again, stating that he would "absolutely" be up for collaborating with her on another film. He has also praised the impact of the "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" franchise, saying:

> " [Nia] has so many people that have come up to her and just said the most amazing things about, like, their families getting back together because of the film, or like, 'My dad and I didn't talk and then we bonded over this film.' It's a legacy. I mean, it's amazing."

Ian Gomez is not in the third film

Ian Gomez, who played Mike, Ian's best friend and unofficial best man in the first film, is not in the third instalment of the My Big Fat Greek Wedding film series. The character, who was also Vardalos's ex-husband in real life, does not appear in the 2023 film, which was released in theatres on September 8, 2023.

Gomez's character Mike played a pivotal role in the first film, as it was only because of him that Ian and Toula met, setting in motion the events of the film. In the second film, Mike's character progressed from being Ian's best friend and coworker to becoming part of the extended family by marrying one of Toula's cousins.

Despite the character's importance in the first two films, it is unclear why he does not appear in the third film. One possible reason could be that Vardalos and Gomez had divorced in 2018, and perhaps Vardalos, who wrote and directed the third film, chose not to include his character.

The third film focuses on the Portokalos family as they grapple with the grief of losing Gus and Ian's father, Rodney. The film also explores the challenges of parenthood for Toula and Ian, as their daughter Paris struggles with the responsibilities of college. With a new wedding on the horizon and the family dynamics changed by Gus's death, the third film takes the audience on a journey of laughter and emotion.

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