My heroes in real life are definitely my mom for being true to herself, for having a foot in both worlds, for being so very polite - Canadian and also such a traditional Greek woman. I would sum it up this way: the life lesson she would say is be polite while you're breaking the rules.

On the publicity tour of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding,' I was asked over and over again, if, as the writer, I felt it was a fair depiction of real life to have someone of my er, below average looks, hook up with hottie John Corbett.

My mom is very Southern and she in real life says things like, 'If you've got it, flaunt it.'

You only get one life so you might as well make it a happy one, and that's why I tend to just jump into things. I'm sort of a fearless idiot that way.

Why be a king, when you can be a king-maker.

I have this theory of life that there are four popular people in high school and then there are the rest of us. I write movies for the rest of us who never peaked in high school. For the people that did peak in high school and then realized later that it's all downhill, welcome to the movie as well.