• Is it possible to be a good actor and good director at the same time? Can you give any examples of such double-success?

• Can the couple of starring actors be same successful in several movies? Do you know more examples like that?

Nia Vardalos

A ntonia Eugenia "Nia" Vardalos (born September 24, 1962) is a Greek-Canadian-American actress, screenwriter, director, and producer.

Vardalos was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is the daughter of Greek Canadian parents Doreen, a bookkeeper and homemaker, and Constantine "Gus" Vardalos, a land developer. She attended Shaftesbury High School and Ryerson University. Vardalos married actor Ian Gomez on September 5, 1993 (her husband converted to the Greek Orthodox religion prior to marrying her). They have recently adopted a daughter, and she has written a post with advice about the adoption process at The Huffington Post. She became a dual citizen of the U.S. in 1999.

Vardalos had done many different works but gained almost overnight success with her movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The success of the movie led to an unsuccessful television series on CBS, called My Big Fat Greek Life. Except for John Corbett, this series featured the original movie cast. In 2004 she followed it up with Connie and Carla, which co-starred Toni Collette. Vardalos and her husband have appeared together in both of those films, as well as Meet Prince Charming (1999). Vardalos also guest starred on The Drew Carey Show in 1997, where her husband was a frequent guest star. Her next work was the movie My Life in Ruins, which arrived in theaters in 2009.

Vardalos is among many celebrities helping to produce The 1 Second Film art project. Vardalos was featured in The Dialogue interview series. In this 90 minute interview with producer Mike DeLuca, Vardalos talks about how her experiences in The Second City comedy troupe helped her as an actress and a screenwriter, and how the unofficial "tell-the-Greek" word-of-mouth program had a hand in catapulting her movie to such great heights

John Corbett

John Joseph Corbett, Jr. (born May 9, 1961) is an American actor and country music singer. Though he first gained notice as the piano-flinging[vague] character of Chris "Chris in the Morning" Stevens in the television series Northern Exposure from 1990 to 1995, he is also known from his role as Carrie Bradshaw's boyfriend, Aidan, on the HBO comedy Sex and the City, as well as the sweet-natured boyfriend, then husband, of Nia Vardalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002). He is currently starring in United States of Tara.

Corbett was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, the son of John Joseph Corbett, Sr. He attended Wheeling Central Catholic High School and Cerritos College in Norwalk, California. Corbett was raised Catholic but is now a born-again Christian. Corbett has never been married but has been in a long-term relationship with Bo Derek.

Corbett's first major role was as the hippie boyfriend of Karen Arnold in season 1, episode 4, ("Angel"), of The Wonder Years, in 1988. Corbett has co-starred in two successful television series to date: Northern Exposure from 1990 to 1995 and Sex and the City (spanning 22 episodes from 2001 to 2002). He appeared in two short-lived television series, the first the 1997 sci-fi series, The Visitor. Corbett starred as Adam MacArthur, a man abducted by aliens, only to find his way home, 50 years later, endowed with unearthly powers. In 2003, he starred in his second series entitled Lucky, which was about a professional poker player, Michael 'Lucky' Linkletter, living in Las Vegas.

Corbett's film credits include Tombstone, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Dreamland and The Messengers. Corbett appeared in Serendipity with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale and he played the role of a music teacher in Raise Your Voice, which starred Hilary Duff. He had a cameo role as Ken Roloff in Dinner Rush (2000). Additionally, Corbett starred in the 2007 Lifetime Television film Montana Sky, and co-starred as a corrupt LAPD vice squad member in Street Kings (2008). Corbett released a full-length, self-titled country music album on April 4, 2006, and went on tour that year to promote the album. Its only single, "Good to Go" (which was also recorded by Jason Aldean on his self-titled debut album), reached a peak of #43 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. In addition, Corbett was featured as a primary actor in Trisha Yearwood's music video of her 2008 single "This Is Me You're Talking To". He did voice over work in commercials for the Applebee's restaurant chain.

Corbett now co-stars in the Showtime original series, The United States of Tara opposite Toni Collette. The series was created by Academy Award-winner Diablo Cody (Juno), and premiered on January 19 2009.

I Hate Valentine's Day is a 2009 romantic comedy film written and directed by Nia Vardalos. The film stars Vardalos and John Corbett, previously seen together in Vardalos' hit 2002 film My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Florist Genevieve Gernier (Vardalos) believes that the best way to achieve romantic fulfillment is to never go on more than five dates with the same man. She is forced to reassess her philosophy when she meets Greg Gatlin (Corbett), a restauranteur who moves into her neighborhood.

Task 5. Look through the vocabulary items below, cope them down in your personal vocabulary book.

get on crabby wrinkled freak ambience maw scrapbook blanch

to be off relationships to date smb bedside linger spooky yearbook chick

dude breathless swinger moron buddy to be up to it all counts

Task 6. Match the vocabulary items with their definitions.

a. crabby b. wrinkled c. freak d. ambience e. to date smb f. bedside g. linger h. spooky i. breathless j. swinger k. moron

the side of a bed or the space alongside it. to be slow in leaving, especially out of reluctance; tarry causing or capable of causing the suspension of regular breathing; tense or exciting a person who actively seeks excitement and moves with the latest trends enthusiastic about something the special atmosphere or mood created by a particular environment to have appointments dullard , dummy , idiot , imbecile , numskull , simpleton , weak-headed , feeble-minded drawn up into creases having or showing a bad temper easily startled; skittish

Task 7. Make up 5 sentences of your own and backtranslate them with your partner.

While-viewing exercises

Task 8. Fill in the gaps in the table following Genevieve’s theory of five dates

Date 1
Date 2
Date 3
Date4
Date 5

After-viewing exercises

Task 1. Give your opinion on Genevieve’s theory. Exchange your views with your partner and feedback to the class.

Task 2. Who said that? What was the episode?

1. Relationship is an emotional cage.

2. His mum is a teacher and his dad is selling used cars.

3. My girl friend is a flight attendant

4. Tapas bar? Are you Spanish?

5. Have you googled him?

6. Are you a kind of swinger?

7. A restaurant is not only about food

8. It’s perfect name for our firs child

Task 3. Do you agree with the statements below? Give your pros and cons. Have an open class discussion on these statements.

• Relationship is an emotional cage

• Single people are happy

• A restaurant is not only about food

Task 4. What typical female and male mistakes in a relationship could you see in this part following the experience of Greg and Genevieve’s shop assistant?