Q&A with Nia Vardalos, My Life in Ruins Movie Star

Other posts by MudslideMama

Nia Vardalos, My Life in Ruins (foxsearchlight.com)Show of hands: Who here has seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Whoa! Maybe I should ask, who here has seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding over 5 times? …That’s still a lot of hands. Well, the Traveling Mamas are extremely proud to have Nia Vardalos with us for this Mama Interview. Nia Vardalos is, of course, the creator/writer/star of Greek Wedding, and June 5, 2009, sees her starring in another fun comedy, My Life in Ruins. This movie takes place in Greece (get it? Ruins?). I loved the gorgeous background scenery for Mamma Mia; My Life in Ruins promises to be a movie with settings that makes the travel lover in all of us want to pack our bags, too.

Nia Vardalos is also a strong supporter of the Alliance for Children’s Rights – the Traveling Mamas’ featured nonprofit this month. What with starring in movies, raising her daughter, and supporting this worthy organization, she is one busy mama. She still finds time to be HILARIOUS though.

Your movie, My Life in Ruins, takes place in Greece. Where were some of the locations? Had you been to those specific places before?

All the locations are within the Mystical Triangle: Acropolis, Olympia, and Delphi which were built 121 kilometers Movie in Greece (foxsearchlight.com)from each other…2500 years ago! I had visited all these sites (bored) as a kid. Now I see the healing powers of traveling the triangle. You’ll come out refreshed. Your skin will be clear. And you will fall in love!
How did you come to be such a strong supporter of the Alliance for Children’s Rights?

I didn’t know, before my husband and I adopted our daughter, that we didn’t have orphanages in the U.S. But we do have 500,000 kids in foster care. Of these kids, 129,000 are legally free for adoption and waiting for a family. We had waited on many waiting lists for an infant and when these routes kept falling through, turned to FosAdopt. Nine months later our daughter, at the time 3 years old, walked into our house, and turned it into a home. Now I feel compelled to tell anyone and everyone: American FosAdopt does not discriminate against age, single parents, sexual orientation, income level.

Where is your favorite travel destination?

Clearly I love Greece, and not just because the men look like my costar Alexi G, and the landscape looks like Nia Vardalos, Alexis Georgoulis; My Life in Ruins (foxsearchlight.com)the posters, but because there is a laid-back wisdom and joy in that country. Also, I loved being in Japan because I couldn’t speak the language or even read the street signs. It was a joy to just get lost and figure out what to eat every day (oh boy, I can only imagine what I thought was a gum ball, may have been an eye. Anyway, I loved it there!)

Any mama can be a Traveling Mama. Have you taken any trips with your daughter yet?

Yes, and I always thought I would be an organized drill sergeant. I am surprised how laid back I’ve become. So, we forgot the crayons, big deal…I hand her a lipstick and let her draw on my pants.

Lipstick on pants? Been there. Believe me, the Traveling Mamas are going to be first in line to see My Life in Ruins. And who knows – a group trip to Greece may be next! …we can dream, anyway. Thank you, Nia!

A Travel Guide in Greece (foxsearchlight.com)

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June 3, 2009 | Filed Under Destinations, Girlfriend Getaways, Luxury Travel, Mama Interviews, Travel News 

Comments

12 Responses to “Q&A with Nia Vardalos, My Life in Ruins Movie Star”

  1. pligg.com says:
    June 3, 2009 at

    Q&A with Nia Vardalos, My Life in Ruins Movie Star…

    A brief interview with Nia Vardalos, star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding and My Life in Ruins, about Greece, her family, and travel….

  2. Steven Roll says:
    June 3, 2009 at

    Congrats on the super interview. I enjoyed it. I hope My Life in Ruins is as enjoyable as My Big Fat Greek Wedding. It’s nice to see that the Mamas and Vardalos also support such worthy cause.

  3. wandermom says:
    June 3, 2009 at

    What?!! You haven’t taken a group trip to Greece yet? Shameful. Call me, I can rave about blue Aegean seas, warm sun and rampant wild oregano along the walks you’ll take with your kids there.

    Can’t wait to see My Life in Ruins.
    Cheers to you and Nia Vardalos for your support of Alliance For Children’s Rights and American FosAdopt.

  4. Nancy D. Brown says:
    June 3, 2009 at

    Loved my Big Fat Greek Wedding. Love Greece. Love the interview with Nia Vardalos. Looking forward to My Life in Ruins.

  5. DesertMama says:
    June 3, 2009 at

    Thank you for the interview, Nia! I can’t wait to hit the theater for your latest release. Greece is top on my list of places to visit.

  6. MountainMama says:
    June 4, 2009 at

    Alexi G is a hottie!

    Thanks for taking the time, Nia, to answer Mudslide’s questions.

  7. Casual Greek Dining at Papa Cristo's, Los Angeles says:
    June 5, 2009 at

    [...] from classic Greek!) with posters of the Acropolis and Delphi, as well as a movie poster of My Big Fat Greek Wedding signed by Nia Vardalos herself. In fact, Thursdays have “Big Fat Greek Thursday Night Dinners,” a huge prix [...]

  8. deTraci Regula says:
    June 5, 2009 at

    If anyone wants help planning their trip to Greece, I know both the luxury routes and the cheap routes, the romantic couples getaways and the beaches where kids are less likely to get stung by a sea anemone. And of course I’m a Nia fan! Off to see the movie this morning.

  9. carolyn Zinchini says:
    June 6, 2009 at

    Loved the movie, the little song Nia sang made me cry. It reminded me of my dad(he used to sing it to me when I was little) He died about 18 months ago, I saw places I visited when I was there, and as usual everything was extremely accurate. Hope its a hit! My husband and I always tell people we lived the nightmare version to the first movie.

  10. anakinskywalker says:
    June 23, 2009 at

    Pligg ftw, the new version really rocks but themes are so hard to find…

  11. jessie voigts says:
    July 28, 2009 at

    what fun!! we’ll have to see this movie for sure. thanks for the great interview…

  12. John says:
    August 20, 2009 at

    Very resourceful and informative post!!! Elda Hotel is a family hotel and one can come here with the entire family to spend some quality time with them. The warm hospitality and friendly nature of the Pelion hotel staff let one unwind in an unknown environment with a feeling of security and being pampered at the same time.

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