Michael Constantine has died at the age of 94.
The actor is known for playing the Windex-loving father in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” the highest grossing romantic comedy of all time.
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Constantine is also known for his Emmy-winning role as high school principal Seymour Kaufman in the TV series “Room 222” from 1969 to 1974.
His family revealed to local outlet Reading Eagle that the actor died peacefully of natural causes in his hometown of Reading, Pennsylvania on August 31.
Constantine’s role in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” dominated box offices in 2002. The film grossed a total of $241 million. The Greek-born actor played Gus Portokalos, an overprotective Greek father.
“He’s a man from a certain kind of background,” Mr. Constantine said of his character in a 2003 interview with The Indianapolis Star. “His saving grace is that he truly does love his daughter and want the best for her. He may not go about it in a very tactful way. So many people tell me, ‘My dad was just like that.’ And I thought, ‘And you don’t hate him?’” The New York Times reports.
Constantine had guest roles on various of other shows, including “Naked City,” “Perry Mason,” “Ironside,” “Gunsmoke” and “Hey, Landlord” in the 1960s, and “Remington Steele,” “Murder, She Wrote” and “Law & Order” in the ’80s and ’90s.
He appeared in “The Last Mile” (1959), “The Hustler” (1961), starring Paul Newman, the 1969 comedies “If It’s Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium” and “Don’t Drink the Water,” and “Voyage of the Damned” (1976).
Constantine later reprised his role on the TV series “My Big Fat Greek Life,” a sitcom that appeared briefly on CBS in 2003.
“My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2” was his final credit in 2016.
Former co-star and on-screen daughter Nia Vardalos took to Twitter to respond to the actor’s passing.
"Michael Constantine, the dad to our cast-family, a gift to the written word, and always a friend," she wrote. "Acting with him came with a rush of love and fun. I will treasure this man who brought Gus to life. He gave us so much laughter and deserves a rest now. We love you Michael."
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