Michael Constantine (born Gus Efstratiou (Ευστρατίου); May 22, 1927 – August 31, 2021) was an American actor. He is most widely recognized for his portrayal of Kostas "Gus" Portokalos, the Windex bottle-toting Greek father of Toula Portokalos (Nia Vardalos), in the film My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002) and its 2016 sequel.
Earlier, he earned acclaim for his television work, especially as the long-suffering high school principal, Seymour Kaufman, on ABC's comedy-drama, Room 222, for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1970. He was again recognized by the Emmy Awards, as well as the Golden Globe Awards, the following year. After the conclusion of Room 222, Constantine portrayed night court magistrate Matthew J. Sirota on the 1976 sitcom Sirota's Court, receiving his second Golden Globe nomination. Constantine reprised his role as Gus Portokalos in My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016).
He appeared in one episode of Hogan's Heroes, It Takes a Thief... Sometimes, as Captain Heinrich. He died at his home in Reading on August 31, 2021, at age 94, from natural causes.
Filmography[]
- Brenner (1 episode, 1959)
- Target: The Corruptors! (1 episode), 1961
- The Untouchables (5 episodes, 1961–1963)
- The Lloyd Bridges Show (2 episodes, 1962–1963)
- The Eleventh Hour as Dr. Jamison in episode "And God Created Vanity" (1963)
- The Dakotas as Marshak in "Trouble at French Creek" (1963)
- Channing (1 episode, 1963) as Nick in "No Wild Games for Sophie" (1963)
- Gunsmoke (2 episodes, 1963–1968)
- The Twilight Zone (1 episode, 1964) as Sheriff Koch in "I Am the Night Color Me Black"
- Slattery's People (1964) one episode as Hungerford in "Remember The Dark Sins of Youth?"
- Perry Mason (2 episodes, 1964–1965)
- The Outer Limits (episode 46 "Counterweight", 1964)
- My Favorite Martian (TV series) (2 episodes, 1965–1966)
- The Virginian (1 episode 1965)
- Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea – The Indestructible Man (1 episode 1965)
- The Fugitive (3 episodes, 1965–1967) (Ernie Svoboda, Ben Wyckoff, Arthur Art Howe)
- I Spy (2 episodes, 1966)
- 12 O'Clock High (1 episode, 1966)
- The Road West in episode "To Light a Candle" (series, 1966)
- The Dick Van Dyke Show (1 episode, 1966)
- The Jean Arthur Show (2 episodes as Carnella, 1966)
- Hogan's Heroes (1 episode, 1966) as Heinrich -episode- "It Takes a Thief...Sometimes"
- Hey Landlord (series, 1966–1967)
- Combat! (as Jacques Patron, episode "Entombed", 1967)
- Dundee and the Culhane (1 episode, 1967 series)
- The Invaders (1 episode, 1968)
- The Flying Nun (as Juan, episode "Sister Lucky", 1968)
- Mission: Impossible (1 episode, 1969) (Nikor Janos)
- Room 222 Series – Seymour Kaufman (1969–1974)
- Bonanza (as a new settler whose greedy neighbor refuses him piped water for irrigation)
- The Odd Couple (series, 1970–1975)
- Mary Tyler Moore (1 episode, 1971)
- Night Gallery (1970-1973) 1 episode "The Boy Who Predicted Earthquakes".
- The Streets of San Francisco – Al Davies – in episode "A Wrongful Death" (series, 1973)
- The Krofft Supershow: Electra Woman and Dyna Girl (4 episodes, 1976) as The Sorcerer
- Sirota's Court (13 episodes, 1976–1977 series)
- 79 Park Avenue (miniseries, 1977)
- Roots: The Next Generations (miniseries, 1979)
- Quincy, M.E. (4 episodes) (1979 Season 4 Episodes 14 & 15 "Walk Softly Through the Night" Parts 1 and 2) (1981 Dr Arthur Clotti – in season 6, episode 14 "Seldom Silent, Never Heard") ( 1983 Season 8 Episode 3 "Give Me Your Weak")
- Fantasy Island (1 episode, 1980)
- Benson 1982 season 4 episodes 1 & 2 as Marvin Musker
- The Love Boat (2 episodes, 1983)
- Amanda's (1 episode, 1983)
- Mama's Family (1 episode, 1983)
- The Fall Guy (1 episode, 1983)
- Remington Steele (3 episodes, 1984–1986)
- Simon & Simon (3 episodes, 1984–1988)
- Highway to Heaven (1 episode, 1985)
- Airwolf (1 episode, 1985)
- MacGyver (2 episodes, 1985–1987) – Inspector Jan Messic
- Murder, She Wrote (2 episodes, 1985–1988)
- Magnum, P.I. (1 episode, 1986)
- Friday the 13th: The Series ("Pipe Dream" 1988)
- Probe ("Plan 10 From Outer Space", 1988)
- Law & Order (2 episodes, 1992–1994)
- Cosby (1 episode, 1997)
- My Big Fat Greek Life (7 episodes, 2003)
- Cold Case (1 episode, 2007)