In 2002, the world of rom-coms was forever changed with the release of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, written by and co-starring Nia Vardalos. The riotous film about a Greek woman falling for a non-Greek man and the cultural complications their love creates with her family was carried to near-overnight success through stellar word of mouth, grossing $368.7 million at the global box office and launching a franchise all its own. Before appearing on the big screen, however, it began on the stage as a 45-minute monologue workshop built from Vardalos' family experiences as a woman with Greek heritage. Those humble, deeply personal roots were the foundation of the final film when Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson came forward to help produce, but there were other sources of inspiration that Vardalos looked to when writing her breakout, Oscar-nominated script.
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