How does she do it? In this interview, Vardalos talks about her writing process and how closely she relates to her characters.
INTERVIEW WITH NIA VARDALOS ('Connie'):
Do you see any parallels between this character and the one in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding?”
I have this theory of life that there are four popular people in high school and then there are the rest of us. I write movies for the rest of us who never peaked in high school. For the people that did peak in high school and then realized later that it’s all downhill, welcome to the movie as well. That’s kind of how I go through life. I like being a bit of a loser. I think it’s funny when I run into my ex-boyfriend on the street and a bird craps on my head. I just think we all feel that way. I think we all feel like we don’t fit in.
Which character are you most like, this one or the “Greek Wedding” one?
I think I’m a mix of both. My favorite thing in the world is when people come up to me on the street and say “I am you. I am Israeli and I married a man from Scotland.” I love hearing everyone’s story. Everybody feels like every woman and every man. That’s why we all relate to Oprah. I think so. I do. I am a black woman.
How did you research the drag queen sequences?
We went to a lot of drag clubs. Right before Michael [Lembeck, the director] came in, I was writing the script and going to the Queen Mary in the valley and asking so many questions that I’m sure they thought I was bi-curious. The one thing that the drag queens said to me was, “Please don’t make fun of us.” So, I felt the burden of all drag queens on my shoulders, boa included, and we made sure that we never had a feeling on the set of laughing at as opposed to laughing with.
What did you learn from drag queens?
We learned things from them too like ‘drag bag’. That’s the bag that you toss over your shoulder that has all of your make-up and fishnet stockings in it. That’s your drag bag, formerly known to us a purse but not anymore. Robert Kaiser who played Paul doesn’t have a drag name in the movie. The reason we did that is he is a famous drag queen named Joan E and I thought it would be a little tip of the hat to his audience that we never come up with a name for him. They know that his name is Joan E. But he taught us little tricks like when we were dancing in open-toed shoes, they put us in panty hose and in open-toed shoes, your foot slides forward when you are dancing and Robert Kaiser showed us you take the sole of the shoe, you spray hairspray on it, you wait until it gets just a little bit tacky, then you put your shoe on. You can dance and your foot doesn’t go anywhere.
One of the messages in this movie and in “Greek Wedding” is to be true to yourself. Where does that trait come from?
As you know from the documentary that is “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” I have an incredible family that is so supportive. They showed up to this movie as well. Michael put them in the film. He had no choice. There’s a big wide shot when Connie and Carla are singing and my whole family is right across the audience, of course, mugging for the camera. That’s where it comes from. I’m so lucky. They do actually exist, these twenty-seven first cousins who will call me up and say, “Don’t wear your hair like that. You’re not a rock star. Get real.” I have this real family and, of course, I have my “Second City” friends from Chicago here in L.A. We are so supportive of each other. They did box office for me when I was doing the one woman show. I try and give them jobs and they say, “No, no, no.” They won’t do anything so I named characters in “Connie and Carla” after them. Jeff is named after my friend Jeff Rosenthal who read the script of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” for me constantly and gave me suggestions and ideas and notes – and also on “Connie and Carla.” Brian is named for my friend Brian Blondell and he went, “Hey, how come I’m a drag queen?”
PAGE 2: Nia Vardalos on Playing a Girl Playing a Guy and Toni Collette
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Interview with David Duchovny
"Connie and Carla" Photo Gallery
"Connie and Carla" Production News, Trailer and Credits
