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Gia Carides

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Gia Carides
Gia Carides and Anthony LaPaglia in 2013
Born (1964-06-07) 7 June 1964 (age 60)
EducationRiverside Girls High Chatswood High School
OccupationActress
Years active1977–present
Spouse
(m. 1998; div. 2015)
Children1

Gia Carides (Greek: Γιά Καρίδη, romanizedGiá Karídi; born 7 June 1964) is an Australian actress. She portrayed Liz Holt in Strictly Ballroom (1992), Susy Connor in Brilliant Lies (1996), and Cousin Nikki in the My Big Fat Greek Wedding franchise (2002–2023).

Early life

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Carides was born in Sydney, Australia, to a Greek father and an English mother.[1] Gia is sister to Zoe Carides, also an actress, and Danielle Carides, a singer songwriter. She began acting at the age of 12; her first film was the drama The Love Letters from Teralba Road.[2]

Career

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Early in her career, Carides starred as Helena Angelopolous on the Australian television series Police Rescue,[3] also receiving acclaim for her films Strictly Ballroom and Brilliant Lies, with AFI Award nominations for each.[4][2]

She is also known for her roles as Robin Swallows (née Spitz) in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and as Cousin Nikki in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, the sequel television show My Big Fat Greek Life, and the two sequel films (My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3).

Carides works in both America and Australia, recognised for a host of film and television credits including Primary Colors, Year One and East of Everything. She also appeared in a guest spot on husband Anthony LaPaglia's television series Without a Trace.

She has volunteered as an actress with the Young Storytellers Program.

In 2024 Carides was named to appear in ABC series Austin,[5] and was also named in the cast for Stan Australia feature film Nugget is Dead.[6]

Personal life

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Carides was married to actor Anthony LaPaglia, whom she met in Sydney in 1992. A year later they starred together in the film Paperback Romance (a.k.a. Lucky Break).[1] She and LaPaglia are the parents of daughter Bridget, born in January 2003.

In April 2015, newspapers reported that LaPaglia and Carides had ended their relationship after 17 years.[7]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Type
1977 The Love Letters from Teralba Road Maureen Short film
1978 A Mill of Hooks Film short
1981 Winter of Our Dreams Feature film
1981 The Counterforce Film short
1981 To Play Insane Role unknown Film short
1982 Gospel Galoshes Film short
1982 Mind Over Matter Film short
1982 Midnite Spares Ruth Mintos Feature film
1983 Phar Lap Emma Woodcock (credited as Georgia Carr) Feature film
1983 Dinner with Patrick Film short
1984 Annie's Coming Out Narrator Feature film
1985 A Decade of Women Film short
1985 The Coca-Cola Kid Chambermaid Feature film
1985 Bliss Lucy Joy Feature film
1986 Backlash Nikki Iceton Feature film
1989 The Third Wave Film short
1992 Greenkeeping Gina Feature film
1992 Strictly Ballroom Liz Holt Feature film
1992 Daydream Believer (aka The Girl Who Came Late) Wendy Feature film
1993 For Whose Sake Role unknown Film short
1994 Lucky Break aka Paperback Romance Sophie Feature film
1995 Bad Company Julie Ames Feature film
1996 The Cottonwood Kathy Feature film
1996 Two If by Sea Joan Rappaport (uncredited) Feature film
1996 Brilliant Lies Susy Connor Feature film
1997 Lifebreath Gale Pullman Feature film
1998 Primary Colors Cashmere McLeod Feature film
1998 Letters from a Killer Lita Feature film
1999 Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me Robin Swallows (née Spitz) Feature film
2000 The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave Sandy Video
2000 Maze Julianne Feature film
2001 Jack the Dog Georgia Feature film
2002 My Big Fat Greek Wedding Cousin Nikki Feature film
2003 Exposed Jade Blake Feature film
2005 One Last Thing... Madelene Feature film
2006 Thank Heaven Cybil Feature film
2006 Stick It Alice Graham Feature film
2007 The Trap Clara Film short
2009 Year One Queen Feature film
2011 In Loco Parentis Mum Film short
2011 Burning Man Carol Feature film
2015 This Isn't Funny Gillian Jones Feature film
2016 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 Cousin Nikki Feature film
2016 Joe Cinque's Consolation Maria Cinque Feature film
2018 We Only Know So Much Trudy Feature film
2023 My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 Cousin Nikki Feature film
2024 Nugget is Dead TBA Feature film: in production

Television

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Year Title Role Type
1978 The Restless Years TV series, 1 episode
1983 A Country Practice Tracy Power TV series, 2 episodes: "Hair of the Dog: Part 1"
Episode: "Hair of the Dog: Part 2"
1985 Five Mile Creek Beth TV series, 1 episode: "Maggie"
1986 Studio 86 TV series, 2 episodes: "Strawberry Girl"
Episode: "Sisters in the Bathroom"
1988 Willesee's Australians Winnie O'Sullivan TV film series, 1 episode: "Les Darcy"
1989 Inside Running TV series, 1 episode
1990 Rafferty's Rules Sally TV series, 1 episode
1991 Boys from the Bush Maria TV series, 2 episodes: "The Stuffed Platypus"
Episode: "Poetic Galah"
1991 Acropolis Now Haroula TV series, 1 episode: "The Goddess"
1992 The Resting Place Sally TV film short
1992 In Sydney Today Guest TV series, 1 episode
1992 Ultraman: Towards the Future Jean Echo TV series, 13 episodes
1992–93 Police Rescue Helena Angelopoulos TV series, 7 episodes
1993 Seven Deadly Sins TV series, 1 episode: "Gluttony"
1995 The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space Vesper, Vox's High Priestess TV movie
1997 ER Suzanne Alner TV series, 1 episode: "You Bet Your Life"
1997 Firehouse Charlotte Brooks TV movie
1997 The Devil's Child Eva TV movie
1999 A Secret Affair Mimi TV movie
2002 The Dragon Chronicles TV series
2003 My Big Fat Greek Life Nikki 7 episodes
2003 Gladius Additional Voices Video game
2005 Without a Trace Stephanie Patterson TV series, 1 episode: "4.0"
2008–09 East of Everything Melanie Freedman TV series, 10 episodes
2011 Small Time Gangster Darlene TV series, 8 episodes
2017; 2019 Big Little Lies Melissa TV series, 9 episodes
2017 Twin Peaks Hannah TV series, 1 episode
2017 The Librarians Lenore Jones TV series, 1 episode
2020 Filthy Rich Veronica TV series, 6 episodes
2021 911 Sandra TV series; 1 episode
2023 HouseBroken Tugboat TV series; 1 episode
2024 Austin Mel Hogan TV series: 8 episodes

Self appearances

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Year Titles Role Notes
2022 7 News Spotlight: Strictly Ballroom Herself (with Strictly Ballroom cast) TV series, 1 episode
2018 LAGFF Orpheus Awards 2018 Presenter TV special
2009 Inside Film Awards Herself TV special
2009 Australia Unites: The Victorian Bushfire Appeal Herself (with Anthony LaPaglia) TV special
2006 David Tench Tonight Guest TV series, 1 episode
1994 Good Morning Australia Guest TV series
1994 At Home Guest TV series, 1 episode
1994 Ernie and Denise Guest TV series, 1 episode
1994 Real Life Guest TV series, 1 episode
1992 The 1992 Australian Film Institute Awards Herself - Winner TV special
1980 Drink Drive Herself Film documentary
1980 Smoking Herself Film documentary

References

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  1. ^ a b Fischer, Paul (2002). "Gia Carides My Big Fat Greek Wedding". female.com.au. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  2. ^ a b Moran, Albert; Keating, Chris (2009). The A to Z of Australian Radio and Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-8108-7022-2.
  3. ^ Mapstone, Naomi (2 November 1992). "Police Rescue". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  4. ^ "Strictly Ballroom wins at the 1992 AFI Awards". National Film and Sound Archive of Australia. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  5. ^ Knox, David (11 November 2023). "Production underway on Austin | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  6. ^ Knox, David (20 May 2024). "Production begins on Nugget Is Dead: A Christmas Story | TV Tonight". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  7. ^ "Anthony LaPaglia and Gia Carides split after 17 years of marriage: Who's Ant's mystery brunette?". The Daily Telegraph. 5 April 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
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