When we were scouting locations for My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, I knew I wanted to find somewhere in Greece that was as far away and remote as my own dad’s village. I wanted that same feel—but with Neoclassical architecture. My dad’s village is more typical, which we’re used to seeing in movies, so I wanted to show a different, new style of Greece. That led us to Corfu, a small island in the Ionian Sea, and more specifically to the tiny village of Varipatades.
Varipatades basically means “heavy-footed,” and it’s called that because the village is on so steep a slope that you absolutely need sturdy, rubber-soled shoes. Be careful where you step, because you will go sliding down the back of the mountain on your head, for sure. It’s a remote, picturesque village, and they gave us full access, unbelievably unfettered by any concerns. The mayor was like, “It’s yours!” If someone was home, they would just leave and give us their home to film in. And after every take, waiting right behind the camera were six villagers hugging me and asking, “Oh, is John Corbett here? Will you kiss him in this movie too?”
Since I’d already scouted the location, I knew what I’d need to bring for the shoot: the world’s biggest sun hat (when you’re on a mountain, your scalp is much too close to the lack of an ozone layer), lip balm, a water bottle, my shot list, and the ever-present sunblock. When you’re Greek and you have this nose, you have to put extra sunblock on the beak.
We got there ready for a full day of sun, and then got the warning that there was—and this was how they phrased it—a “once-in-a-century thunderstorm” headed our way. Great. We’re filming an independent movie, we have a limited amount of time to get an inordinate amount of shots in, and all I could do was stare at the shot list and the sky, which was mocking us with its blueness. There was no way there was a storm headed our way! But, sure enough, around 2 p.m. the air suddenly turned humid, as thick as pea soup, and I knew things were about to take a turn. As I was acting across from my costar, I saw what was probably one of the biggest clouds in the history of time cross the sky and change the lighting on her face. I said “cut” and looked up. If only it had been a bird wishing me luck by taking a dump on my face… but no, it was the world’s biggest raindrop. I turned to everybody: Run!
We ran to take cover, standing in doorways, waiting for the rain to stop. Then the doors behind us started to open up, and the villagers brought us food: bread and sausages—which turned into an argument, because the man across the street insisted his sausages were better, as he used leeks. That’s how we passed the day waiting for the rain to stop: eating.
It’s the only way to travel in Greece—be hungry. I even told our actors to come to set hungry, because we did something very unique: The film revolves around a family dinner, which the characters hadn’t had since their dad died, and I felt it was important that we actually eat in scenes. The food on our sets wasn’t shellacked prop food; instead, we prepared many, many versions of the same dish. After the family dug into a salad, it would be replaced for take two. It was lucky we were able to eat so much, because we had a lot of walking to do every day. Since the village was so remote, we had to park our production trucks and trailers in a village below. Then we, in our costumes, walked up the hill to film. We were all in incredible shape.
We spent a lot of time on our feet, and there was a lot of thinking on our feet, too. If one phrase comes to mind about directing during COVID, in extreme heat, with freak hailstorms and rainstorms, when everything that can possibly go wrong does… it’s just, smile and pivot.
Nia Vardalos is the star, writer, director, and executive producer of My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, in theaters September 8. This story was written prior to the SAG- AFTRA strike.
