Possessing a wry, Everywoman quality on screen and a sharp observational eye on the page, Nia Vardalos became an almost-overnight Hollywood sensation the old fashioned way: by her sheer appeal to the audience. As the writer and star of the autobiographical comedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" (2002), Vardalos took the entertainment industry by storm when the film came virtually out of nowhere to become a surprise sleeper hit, and the real-life backstory of how she got the film made proved as entertaining as the movie itself.Born and raised in Winnepeg, Vardalos was raised in a quirky and
