Nia Vardalos is not the possessive type when it comes to her “best friend” and on-screen husband John Corbett.
In the new issue of PEOPLE, the Canadian actress (60) talks about filming My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3 with the actor, who played her boyfriend-turned-spouse Ian Miller in the franchise for more than 20 years.
Corbett, 62, also has a high-profile performance as Sarah Jessica Parker’s love interest Aidan Shaw in the comedy Max And just like that…a role he also played in HBO’s hit series from 1998-2004 Sex and the city.
And although Corbett romances the movie alter-egos of both stars, Vardalos says there’s no tug-of-war.
“This is Sarah Jessica Parker’s message: We can split it up,” jokes Vardalos, who also serves as writer, executive producer and director of the third Greek war. “I will take Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays. We can share John Corbett.”
Watch Nia Vardalos Expertly Rehearse ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding’ Films Ahead of New Sequel (Exclusive)
Vardalos praises her costar and says she knows why Emmy winner Parker “loves” working with Corbett, too.
“The thing about John is that he just looks good all the time. It is thin and very casual. And he is such a feminist that it is so sexy,” he adds.
IFC Films/Everett
“Right now it’s John Corbett’s in-between season […And Just Like That] and our movie is coming out, and nobody deserves it more than this guy. He’s a good guy,” she continues.
Indeed, she says he encouraged her to direct a third film and is a cheerleader for her career.
“This is a man who supports me so much as a filmmaker. He said last night [of filming], ‘Honey’—he calls me ‘baby’ but it’s not derogatory if anyone reads that because I call him ‘baby’ too— He said, ‘Honey, I’ve watched you grow into a director.’ And I thought, you want to make a movie with that!”
Nia Vardalos recalls filming ‘Amazing’ scene of ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3’ with John Corbett
The third film finds spunky mom Toula (Vardalos) and the loud, fictional Portokalos clan — based on Vardalos’ own family of Greek descent — heading to a small village where their late patriarch (played in the previous films by actor Michael Constantine, who died in August 2021 at 94) spent his formative years.
The family honors him by fulfilling his last wish: to visit his childhood village and reconnect with his roots.
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John Corbett and Sarah Jessica Parker rekindle their romance in ‘And Just Like That…’.
Craig Blankenhorn / Max / Everett
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Gathering the cast for the third film on location in Greece was an emotional experience.
“The first time I got the whole cast together, I told him that I wanted to pay tribute to Michael and that I would dedicate the film to Michael, and they all fell apart,” Vardalos recalls.
My big fat Greek wedding premiere in cinemas Friday, 8.9.
Find out more about Nia Vardalos in the new issue of PEOPLE magazine.
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Source: HIS Education