Fans were surprised to see actress Lainie Kazan, 85, enjoying a rare outing in Los Angeles. Best known for playing Maria Portokalos, the loud but loving mom in My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), Kazan remains one of Hollywood’s most unforgettable matriarchs.
Kazan, who began her career on Broadway in the 1960s, also starred in The Nanny and earned an Emmy nod for St. Elsewhere. She once served as Barbra Streisand’s understudy in Funny Girl and later made headlines by posing for Playboy in 1970.
Though now using a wheelchair, she looked stylish in a leopard-print blouse, palazzo pants, and gold accessories. Fans praised her elegance, even away from the stage. “She still carries herself with glamour,” one admirer noted.
Kazan reprised her role as Maria in the 2016 and 2023 sequels, where her character battled dementia. While she keeps a lower profile today, her legacy as one of Hollywood’s most iconic on-screen mothers lives on. Doesn’t it make you want to rewatch the film and smile all over again?
