My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: Will Lainie Kazan Make A Comeback?

Yes, Lainie Kazan is in *My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3*. She reprises her role as Maria Portokalos, the mother of Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos).

Lainie Kazan's character in the film

Lainie Kazan portrays Maria Portokalos, the mother of Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding film series. Maria is a supportive mother and mother-in-law, but her daughter's marriage to Ian Miller, who is not Greek, has frequently sparked major family disputes due to their cultural differences.

Maria is a prominent character in the first film, where she is shown to be a feisty, strong-willed woman who is unafraid to stand up to her husband, Gus Portokalos. She is proud of her Greek heritage and is shown to be a traditionalist, especially when it comes to her daughter's marriage and family life.

In the third film, Maria is battling dementia and is being cared for by her daughter, Athena, and son-in-law, Yiannis. Although not much is known about her role in the film, her presence at the family reunion in Greece is sure to have some interesting effects on the family dynamics.

Kazan's career

Lainie Kazan, born Lainie Levine, is an American actress and singer. She was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 15, 1940 (or 1942 according to one source). Kazan's career began with her Broadway debut in 1961 with the musical "The Happiest Girl in the World". The following year, she appeared in another musical, Bravo Giovanni, and understudied Barbra Streisand for the lead role of Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl" (1964). When Streisand was unable to perform due to a throat condition, Kazan took her place for one day.

Kazan's popularity increased, and she posed nude for the October 1970 issue of Playboy. Her appearance in the magazine led to her headlining two different Playboy Jazz Clubs: Lainie's Room West in Los Angeles, and Lainie's Room East in Manhattan. She also formed a business partnership with Hugh Hefner, who created these performance venues to nurture the singing aspect of her career.

Kazan has appeared in numerous supper clubs across the country and guest-starred on Dean Martin's variety series 26 times. Her other television work includes "The Nanny", "Veronica's Closet", "St. Elsewhere" (which earned her an Emmy nomination), "The Paper Chase", "Columbo", "Touched by an Angel", and "Will & Grace".

Kazan's film credits include "My Favorite Year" (1982), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination, "Harry and the Hendersons", "You Don't Mess with the Zohan", "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002) and its sequels, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" (2016) and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" (2023).

In addition to her acting and singing career, Kazan has been an adjunct professor at UCLA since 2012, teaching acting classes and directing student drama productions. She has also served on the boards of several organisations, including the Young Musicians' Foundation, AIDS Project LA, and her alma mater, Hofstra University.

The plot of the film

The plot of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3" revolves around the Portokalos family as they travel to Greece for a family reunion and navigate grief, family secrets, and romantic relationships.

The story begins with the family grappling with the loss of Gus Portokalos, the patriarch, and Ian's father Rodney, whose passing has left a void in their lives. Nick, now separated, returns home and struggles with immature behaviour, while Athena and her husband Yiannis care for Maria, who is battling dementia. Toula and Ian, though happily married, face the challenges of parenthood as their daughter Paris deals with the responsibilities of college, unknown to her parents.

The family is invited to Gus' hometown of Vrisi by Victory, a distant relative and the town's mayor, under the pretext of a reunion. On their journey, they meet Alexandra, Gus' old flame, and discover that there is no actual reunion planned. The family explores the village and the surrounding areas, with Toula searching for Gus' childhood friends to fulfil her father's wish of delivering his journal to them.

During their stay, they uncover a family secret: Gus had a son, Peter, with Alexandra, making him Toula's half-brother. Peter has a son, Christos, who is secretly romantically involved with a Syrian refugee named Qamar. The family dynamics become more intricate as they navigate this revelation and the challenges of cross-cultural relationships, echoing Toula and Ian's love story in the first film.

Christos and Qamar decide to get engaged, despite initial disapproval from Peter and Alexandra. The family comes together to organise a joyous Greek-Syrian wedding celebration, infusing both cultural traditions. The movie also explores the individual journeys of the characters, such as Paris' struggles with college and her evolving relationship with Aristotle, as well as the family's collective growth and resilience in the face of grief.

The film concludes with the wedding of Christos and Qamar, bringing both families together and strengthening the bonds of the Portokalos clan.

The film's cast and crew

The third instalment in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, was written and directed by Nia Vardalos, who also starred in the film. The film's cast includes John Corbett, Louis Mandylor, Elena Kampouris, Gia Carides, Joey Fatone, Lainie Kazan, and Andrea Martin.

The film notably did not feature Michael Constantine, Bess Meisler, and Ian Gomez, who had appeared in previous films in the franchise. Michael Constantine, who played Gus Portokalos, died in 2021, and the film is dedicated to his memory.

Large portions of the film were shot on Corfu, with principal photography taking place in Athens, Greece, from June through August 2022.

Reception of the film

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 received generally negative reviews from critics, with an average rating of 4.4/10 on Rotten Tomatoes. The film has been described as "amiable and sunny if often unamusing", repeating what audiences loved about the first film but with "diminishing returns". On Metacritic, the film received a score of 35 out of 100, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews.

CinemaScore gave the film a "B" rating, while PostTrak reported a 73% overall positive score, with 55% of viewers saying they would definitely recommend it. Audience reviews on Rotten Tomatoes are mixed, with some viewers calling it a "waste of time" and "one of the worst movies I've ever seen", while others found it "mildly entertaining" and a "good enough film to watch... when I had nothing else to do".

The film has grossed $39 million worldwide as of October 31, 2023, with $28.5 million made in the United States and Canada, and $10.6 million in other territories. In its opening weekend, the film made $3.7 million in the US and Canada, finishing third at the box office.

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