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List of Greek Americans

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By ethnicity

The following is a list of notable Greek Americans, including both original immigrants of full or partial Greek descent who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.

Architecture

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Peter John Spillis- architect

Business

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Automobiles

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Agriculture

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Alcoholic beverages

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Chemicals and petroleum

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Computer software & hardware

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Consumer products

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Education

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Entertainment and media

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Finance and venture capital

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Game design

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Inventor

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Medical devices and pharmaceuticals

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Retail

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Real estate

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Social media

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Sports

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Various

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Fashion

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Cuisine

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Fashion

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Modeling

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Style

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Explorers and settlers

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Religious figures

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Law enforcement

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Literature

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Drama: Theater, TV & Screenwriting

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Fiction

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Nonfiction

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Media

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Television

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Radio

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Art and entertainment

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Comedy

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Dance

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Choreography

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Pop

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Tango

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Film and theater

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Actors

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Jason Mantzoukas in 2015

Actresses

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Art direction, costume design, set design

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Choreography

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Cinematography

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Directors

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Makeup and special effects

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  • Karen Goulekas – visual effects artist
  • Jack Pierce – designer of makeup and costumes for all of Universal Studios's iconic movie monsters, including: Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, et al.
  • Patrick Tatopoulos – special effects and creature designer[58]
  • Petro Vlahos – Oscar-awarded Hollywood special effects pioneer

Producers

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Props

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Sound

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Magicians

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Musicians

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Composer

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Conductor

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Producers

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Classical

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Country & western

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Dark cabaret

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  • Lola Blanc – singer, songwriter; her father is Greek-American.

Disco

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New age

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  • Chris Spheeris – new age multi-instrumentalist, composer, recording artist, collaborated on several albums with Paul Voudouris[62]
  • Paul Avgerinos – composer, performer and producer of new-age music
  • Yanni – new-age musician[63]

Opera

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Pop

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Rock and metal

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Rap

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Rock and roll

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Visual arts

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Comics, cartoons

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Graffiti

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  • Alex Martinez – graffiti artist, illustrator, muralist (Greek mother)
  • Taki 183 – original artist who spawned the Graffiti craze in New York City of 1960s-70s. Demetrios/Demetraki ("Taki") hailed from 183rd Street in Washington Heights, hence his moniker "Taki 183".

Illustrators

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Painters

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Performance artists

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  • Mary Ashley – video artist, performance artist, and painter

Photography

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Sculptors

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Unfiled

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Military

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Politicians

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Federal

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Ιncumbent politicians

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Former politicians

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John Negroponte, United States Director of National Intelligence, former United States Ambassador to the United Nations under President George W. Bush
George Stephanopoulos, This Week (ABC TV series) Presenter and former White House Director of Communications and Senior advisor to President Bill Clinton
Former CIA Director George Tenet

State

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Incumbent politicians

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Former politicians

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Local

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Science and academia

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Academic administration

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Anthropology

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  • Dorothy D. Lee – anthropologist, author and philosopher of cultural anthropology

Biology - genetics

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Chemistry

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Computer science

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Economics-management

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Engineering

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  • Constantine A. Balanis – electrical engineer
  • John Baras – electrical engineer
  • George Doundoulakis – physicist and soldier who worked under British Intelligence during World War II and then served with the OSS in Thessaly, Greece. He is known by his twenty-six US patents in the fields of radar, electronics, and narrowband television.
  • Helias Doundoulakis – civil engineer who was employed at Grumman Aerospace Corporation for over thirty five years and group leader on many USAF and NASA projects. These included the Apollo space missions and the Lunar Excursion Module, the F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, and the Space Shuttle. His design of the oxygen tanks on the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission was instrumental in the return of the Apollo 13 crew, for which Doundoulakis was given a plaque by Captain James Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert. Served in the United States Army and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) — as a spy during the Battle of Crete in WWII.
  • John Dugundji - aeronautical engineer, professor at MIT
  • Maria Flytzani-Stephanopoulos – chemical engineer
  • Peter Karter – nuclear engineer and one of the pioneers of the modern recycling industry
  • Ares J. Rosakis – engineer
  • George Tchobanoglous – civil and environmental engineer, professor at University of California, Davis
  • Michael Tsapatsis – chemical engineer and materials scientist

English, debate, speech

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  • Helena Zachos (March 5, 1856 – February 28, 1951) - American college professor and elocutionist, who was on the faculty at Cooper Union from 1897 to 1939. Daughter of educator and abolitionist Professor John Celivergos Zachos.
HelenaZachos
  • John Celivergos Zachos (December 20, 1820 – March 20, 1898) - worked as Library Curator and Professor of English Language at Cooper Union from 1872 until his death in 1898. In 1861 was named the first superintendent of the Port Royal Experiment where freed slaves were educated on the liberated islands off of Charleston, SC.

Law

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Mathematics

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Medicine

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Philosophy

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Physics

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Psychology

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  • Richard Boyatzis - organizational theorist and Distinguished University Professor in the Departments of Organizational Behavior, Psychology, and Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University. He is considered an expert in the field of emotional intelligence, behavior change and competence.
  • Leda Cosmides – psychologist[92]
  • Matina Horner – psychologist, sixth president of Radcliffe College

Sociology

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Various

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Sports

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Aquatics

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Baseball

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Basketball

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Body building and fitness training

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  • John Sitaras – fitness professional, creator of the Sitaras method and founder of Sitaras Fitness in New York City
  • Craig Titus – American bodybuilder
  • Christos Nikitas Poulis - athletic trainer

Boxing

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Football

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Chris Maragos, NFL safety for the Seattle Seahawks

John Mellekas- NFL player Chicago Bears, San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles

Gambling, bookmakers, poker

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Goalball

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Hockey

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Mixed martial arts

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  • John Critzos II – martial arts fighter, champion, and instructor
  • Alex Karalexis – professional fighter with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Christos Giagos - professional fighter with the Ultimate Fighting Championship

Motor sports

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Soccer / association football

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Surfing

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Tennis

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Track and field

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  • Dean Karnazes – ultramarathon champion, writer, businessman
  • Bob Mathias - decathlete. Won 2 Olympic gold medals: London (1948) and Helsinki (1952). Became younger gold medal winner (age 17) in 1948.
  • Tom Pappas – track & field decathlete, 2003 world decathlon champion and 2-time Olympian.

Winter sports

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Wrestling

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Sports journalism

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Criminal figures

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Green, Penelope (July 11, 2018). "Margaret Hoover and John Avlon on their Post-Partisan Marriage". The New York Times. Retrieved September 8, 2018. Mr. Avlon, who grew up in New York City, is a grandchild of Greek immigrants. Their experiences have made him, he said, a proud patriot.
  2. ^ "Feature Articles". www.helleniccomserve.com. Archived from the original on 2016-10-29.
  3. ^ a b "TNH's 50 Wealthiest Greek-Americans 2017 List". The National Herald. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  4. ^ "Madoff Whistleblower: SEC Failed To Do The Math". National Public Radio. March 2, 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  5. ^ "The Most Popular Person in Buffalo with Courage, Daring and a Touch of Magic, Sabres Owner John Rigas Reminds Us How to Dream". November 1998. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  6. ^ "John Sitilides: fact-driven foreign policy fuels this Washington insider". September 22, 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  7. ^ "From 'Project Runway' to Dressing Beyoncé: 5 Things To Know About Designer Michael Costello".
  8. ^ "Social Diary 4/22/05 - When Too Much of Too Much Is Still Not Enough". Newyorksocialdiary.com. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  9. ^ [1] "Greek-born couturier James Galanos"
  10. ^ [2] Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine "Greek American, originally from Springfield, Massachusetts"
  11. ^ a b [3] "To show in Milan is 'the top' according to the Greek American who decided to leave the catwalks of New York and head for those here in Milan."
  12. ^ [4] Archived 2006-10-09 at the Wayback Machine " I’m half Greek and half Venezuelan, and I speak fluent Spanish and Greek."
  13. ^ "American Idol: Interview With Becky O'Donohue". Fansofrealitytv.com. 2006-02-26. Archived from the original on 2006-03-04. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
  14. ^ [5] Archived April 11, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "The Films of Andy Sidaris". Mondo-digital.com. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
  16. ^ [6] Archived 2014-01-21 at the Wayback Machine "Eugenides is himself Greek-American, Detroit-born, suburb-raised--all sources of inspiration for his second novel."
  17. ^ [7] Archived 2008-04-06 at the Wayback Machine "How I was both Spiderman and a tiny unathletic Greek boy..." [8] "As the son of Greek immigrants, he participated in the familiar first generation event of multiple identities"
  18. ^ "Death Notice: MICHAEL GEORGE KALODIMOS". Chicago Tribune. 2008-10-30.
  19. ^ a b [9] "The son of a Greek Orthodox priest (note: Orthodox priests can marry prior to ordination) and a nutritionist, Martin grew up with his brother and sister in Toms River, New Jersey. His parents co-owned a Greek diner with his grandparents and uncle. Martin, the prototypical "good Greek boy," served as an altar boy at church and bused tables at the restaurant."
  20. ^ a b [10] "As far as religion goes, we were raised Greek Orthodox..." [11] "My father's mother, our grandmother, lived with us for a while. She didn't speak any English. She was all Greek and she was freaky. She had long hair, which she wore in braids..." [12] Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ "Karina Smirnoff Wants To Dance With Somebody | Interview".
  22. ^ [13] Archived 2016-08-09 at the Wayback Machine " Born on the island of Crete in Greece, Yanni Anastasakis, aka John Aniston, and his family moved to the United States when he was a child. His father promptly changed the family name to Aniston."
  23. ^ [14] [15] Archived 2006-05-14 at the Wayback Machine "Chiklis got his acting talent from his mother, Kate... his flamboyance from his father, Charlie, a macho second-generation Greek-American who runs a hair salon in the Boston suburb of Lowell, where Chiklis was born."
  24. ^ [16] Archived 2019-05-29 at the Wayback Machine "Tim's mother, Carmen, was an heiress to the theatre chain founded by her father, Alexander Pantages, who immigrated to the United States from Greece around 1885."
  25. ^ "Dimitri Diatchenko, Actor, Musician and Video Game Voiceover Artist, Dies at 52". The Hollywood Reporter. May 1, 2020. Archived from the original on June 10, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  26. ^ [17] Archived 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine "Andreas Katsulas, whose striking Greek visage..."
  27. ^ "Nick Kiriazis". IMDb.
  28. ^ "Q&A with Executive Producer Ralph Macchio | National Geographic Channel". Archived from the original on 2013-10-03. Retrieved 2013-10-04.
  29. ^ [18] "Maharis was a Kerouac look-alike, a good looking Greek kid from Queens"
  30. ^ Rami malek's Greek heritage
  31. ^ Jones, Patty (2012-05-10). "The Dictator wields a comic arsenal | Vancouver, Canada". Straight.com. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  32. ^ Papapostolou, Anastasios (20 November 2010). "24" Greek-American Star Adoni Maropis Plans Screenplay in Crete!". Hollywood Greek Reporter. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  33. ^ "Constantine Maroulis - NY, New York - Rock / Pop". MySpace.com. 2005-02-25. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  34. ^ [19] "It never occurred to me that Chris Sarandon is Greek (for those that don't know, Tarpon Springs is an ethnic Greek community located just north of St. Petersburg), until I thought about it - he very much looks Greek, later explaining that his father was from a "Greek village in Turkey"."
  35. ^ [20] "Greek-American actor George Savalas"
  36. ^ [21][22] Archived 2007-05-29 at the Wayback Machine "Born to Greek parents, Savalas served in World War II after he dropped out of Columbia University..." You should not trust yurunalists, Columbia lists him as having graduated in 1950 from their "adult" General Studies school after the army. [23]
  37. ^ [24][25] Archived 2007-05-29 at the Wayback Machine "Born to Greek parents, Savalas served in World War II after he dropped out of Columbia University..." You should not trust yurunalists, Columbia lists him as having graduated in 1950 from their "adult" General Studies school after the army. [26]
  38. ^ a b [27][permanent dead link] "John is also Greek and part Irish." [28] "John Stamos' original family name is Stamopolous, which was shortened by his grandparents when they came to America from Greece."
  39. ^ a b c "Billy Zane Interview"BloodRayne"Movie: Tim Nasson". Wildaboutmovies.com. 2005-12-27. Archived from the original on 2013-11-02. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  40. ^ a b [29] "Her father John Aniston was born on the island of Crete in Greece. Her mother Nancy Dow is partly Greek." (1930-present)
  41. ^ a b c d "Greek News - Hellenic Times 15th Anniversary Gala". Greeknewsonline.com. 2006-05-13. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
  42. ^ [30] "Her father, Ernest J. Carteris, was of Greek descent."
  43. ^ "Katie Chonacas: Running with success". 16 February 2011.
  44. ^ [31] "Nancy Dow is Scottish, Irish, Italian and Greek."
  45. ^ a b [32] "Olympia Dukakis, Greek-American stage and film actress... will discuss the impact of her Greek-American heritage on her career, as well as past performances, particularly her lead role in the ancient tragedy "Hecuba."" [33] "The daughter of Greek immigrants..."
  46. ^ a b [34] "Fey's mother is Greek-American and her father is German-Scottish, but she's wary of claiming an ethnic identity. "I’ve said a few things about being Greek, and now every Greek organization wants to adopt me," Fey told me." [35] "Because of the Greek-girl thing, I have, like, boobs and butt."
  47. ^ [36] Archived 2006-08-15 at the Wayback Machine "Angie Harmon: "It would be shaping my eyebrows. Being half Greek and half American Indian, I have the unibrow. So once I started working on them, I really did see a change. You create another kind of beauty.""
  48. ^ [37] "Her (Real) Heritage: "I'm Greek, Italian and Jewish. In TV Guide they wrote that I was French, Greek and Jewish. I am mostly Greek. I don't know where French came from."
  49. ^ [38] Archived 2006-05-10 at the Wayback Machine "My grandfather always told me, "You know you're American first, but you're a Greek-American, which makes you a better American.""
  50. ^ [39] Archived 2006-03-21 at the Wayback Machine "The stunning Maria Menounos had no problem getting her Greek on for our photo shoot, but her heritage hasn’t always been easy for her. "My dad was very strict," she says. "A guy would call the house and he would say, ‘I have a gun, and I will use it!’"... My parents said I had to marry a Greek boy. I dated them, but they weren’t for me. They want slaves. I want someone to be my slave! My mom still puts my dad's socks on him when she wakes him up in the morning."
  51. ^ [40] "Sigler is half-Cuban and half-Greek (Jewish)"
  52. ^ [41] Archived 2006-08-04 at the Wayback Machine "A raven haired beauty who is equal parts Greek passion and English reserve"
  53. ^ "Mena Suvari Interview - Mena Suvari on Rumor Has It, Jennifer Aniston, and Rob Reiner". Archived from the original on 2007-12-14. Retrieved 2007-11-25. "Well we’re both [she and Jennifer Aniston] Greek, which is a shoe-in right there." [42][permanent dead link] "Mena, the world traveler: Part Estonian and part Greek, Suvari was named for her godmother, who was born in the Mena House, a hotel at the base of the Pyramids in Egypt." [43] "Brought up in South Carolina, her Estonian father is a retired psychiatrist and her Greek mother a nurse."
  54. ^ [44] Grandfather Nicholas Cachikis was born in Greece.
  55. ^ [45] "...Rita Wilson's parents - her father was Bulgarian, while mother Dorothy was Greek - changed their surname to Wilson after moving to the United States." "My mother is Greek and my father is Bulgarian. I am a first-generation American and native Los Angeleno. I was born and raised in Hollywood. I would go to school and be American and then come home and be Greek." [46] "...her producers include actor Rita Wilson, who is half Greek...".
  56. ^ [47] "...Greek-American entertainer Lisa Zane..."
  57. ^ [48] Archived 2008-02-25 at the Wayback Machine "Greek-American production designer Dean Tavoularis"
  58. ^ [49][50] "My father is a Greek from Macedonia. I don’t know his roots exactly."
  59. ^ "7/14/04: Basil Poledouris Interview". Archived from the original on 2006-10-23. Retrieved 2006-03-23. "The other element that influenced me early on had to do with my Greek Orthodox raising where I used to sit in church and just be enthralled with the choir. So, there are a lot of Gregorian modal ideas in my music that go back to that."
  60. ^ [51][permanent dead link] "I'm Greek and my wife and I will cook a Greek dinner for eight for the winner. That is a Greek."
  61. ^ [52] "Greek conductor and composer"
  62. ^ "About Chris". Chrisspheeris.com. Archived from the original on 2011-09-25. Retrieved 2011-09-18. Born and raised in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Chris spent his summers in Greece, the land of his heritage...
  63. ^ [53] Archived 2006-06-28 at the Wayback Machine "his Greek musician's claims to fame" [54] Archived 2006-06-16 at the Wayback Machine "He divides his time between L.A. and the Seattle, WA area, and is now an American citizen."
  64. ^ [55] Archived 2006-06-27 at the Wayback Machine "renowned Greek opera singer whose personal life enthralled Greece in the 1950s and 1960s"
  65. ^ [56] "This website is dedicated to preserving the musical memory of the late, great, Tatiana Troyanos, Greek-American Mezzo-Soprano"
  66. ^ [57] Archived 2018-12-15 at the Wayback Machine "Called upon to help support their Greek-Norwegian family when their father's business was wiped out by the Depression"
  67. ^ [58] "I'm Greek, so we have pretty big booties in my family." [59] "I'm Greek and Irish, but I don't know Greek. I just have the booty, that's the only part I got of it, that's the curve of it all."
  68. ^ [60] Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine "Kalomira Sarantis is missing the second semester of her first year in college. She is pursuing her lifetime dream – a career as a professional singer – in a very unorthodox way, as a contestant on the Antenna TV program "Fame Story" in Greece."
  69. ^ [61] Archived 2006-05-12 at the Wayback Machine "the half-Greek, half-Puerto Rican kid"
  70. ^ Trousdale - "Feeling the Vibe || Chris Trousdale Interview Page 2". Archived from the original on 2006-10-16. Retrieved 2006-06-23. "Half and half? Yeah I think…my dad is full Greek and my mom's Black Irish."
  71. ^ [62] "Jim Verraros: My father was born in Greece, so I am mostly Greek. My mother is German, Irish, French and English."
  72. ^ [63][permanent dead link] "Mr. Greg Dulli (he's Greek, ya know...)"
  73. ^ [64] Archived 2006-06-30 at the Wayback Machine "We were baptized Greek Orthodox, so we are Greek Orthodox", Matt says. "If you're baptized Greek Orthodox, you're in for good. That's it."
  74. ^ "Interview:Wayne Kramer (MC5, solo)". 12 April 2012.
  75. ^ [65]"I am French/Greek"
  76. ^ [66] Archived 2006-07-18 at the Wayback Machine "Are you a fan of anal sex? TL, "Being Greek, you'd think I'd be a big anal sex fan. It's kinda nasty. I'm not really feeling it too much, although I've done it several times -- but it's not my favorite."
  77. ^ [67] "My own band, the Vanity Set, half of whom (including myself) are second-generation Greek-Americans, adore rebetiko music."
  78. ^ Elissa Strauss, “Sarah Aroeste, keeping Ladino music alive,” New York Daily News, November 11, 2008.
  79. ^ Mordechai Shinefield, “Monday Music: The Face of Ladino Dream-Pop,” The Forward, May 21, 2012.
  80. ^ [68] Archived 2006-06-18 at the Wayback Machine "Annette Artani, a native Greek-American New Yorker"
  81. ^ [69] Archived 2006-06-25 at the Wayback Machine "Well, here I am. I'm an Anatolian Greek - a middle eastern Greek - and I'm an American, which is a bloody weird combination."
  82. ^ [70] "Constantine comes from a "massive" Greek American family"
  83. ^ [71] Archived 2006-05-17 at the Wayback Machine "I’m half Irish and I’m half Greek"
  84. ^ [72] "Born in Berkeley, California, to a Greek immigrant family"
  85. ^ [73] Archived 2007-10-28 at the Wayback Machine "Greek American bandleader Johnny Otis"
  86. ^ [74] "My own band, the Vanity Set, half of whom (including myself) are second-generation Greek-Americans"
  87. ^ "Word Balloon Comics Podcast". Wordballoon.libsyn.com. 2006-12-17. Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
  88. ^ http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:SymsEkFOslcJ:www.hellenicnews.com/print.html?newsid%3D2885%26lang%3DUS+Maria+Stephanos+Greek&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=3[permanent dead link]
  89. ^ "George T. Kalaris, 73, Official Who Changed C.I.A.'s Direction". NY Times. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  90. ^ Lavin, Cheryl (October 19, 1993). "One-woman Show: There Are 16 Cook County Board Members-plus Maria Pappas". Chicago Tribune. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  91. ^ Anastasios Papapostolou (2010-03-13). "Chrysostomos "Max" Nikias Named 11th President of USC". USA.GreekReporter.com. Retrieved 2011-09-18.
  92. ^ "WWF comes to Michigan". Archived from the original on 2006-06-24.
  93. ^ Martine Powers (October 11, 2007). "Former prof. dies at 91". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2017-06-21.
  94. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-03-11. Retrieved 2006-08-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) "Markakis, who is half Greek and half German, led the Greek Olympic team..."
  95. ^ It's All Greek "Basketball" To Chris Roupas, Kevin Forsythe, The York Daily Record, May 1, 1983
  96. ^ "Τ.Τζον: "Στόχος μου να καθιερωθώ"". Sport24.gr. 2009-04-19.
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