Gia Carides, an actress since the age of 12, has won awards for her films Strictly Ballroom and Brilliant Lies from the Australian Film Institute. She is best known for her roles as Robin Spitz Swallows in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me and Cousin Nikki in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and the television show, My Big Fat Greek Life. Gia also starred as the character Helena Angelopolous in the Southern Star Television show Police Rescue from 1992-1993.

Gia Carides: Biography

Birth Date

• June 7, 1964

Birth Location

• Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Also Known As

• Georgia Carr

Credited Years

• 1977 - 2006

Awards

• Australian Film Institute Award, Best Actress in a Lead Role for Brilliant Lies (1996, Nominated)
• Australian Film Institute Award, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Strictly Ballroom (1992, Nominated)
• Screen Actors Guild Awards, Outstanding Performance by the Cast of a Theatrical Motion Picture for My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002, Nominated, Shared with: Michael Constantine, John Corbett, Joey Fatone, Lainie Kazan, Andrea Martin, Nia Vardalos)

Family

• Gia's parents are an English mother and a Greek father. She is married to actor Anthony LaPaglia, whom she met whilst jointly starring in the 1994 (Ben Lewin) Australian movie "Lucky Break", and they are the parents of daughter Bridget (born in January 2003). She is sister to Zoe Carides, also an actress, and sister-in-law to doctor turned actor Jonathan LaPaglia (from New York Undercover).

Trivia

• Sister of Zoe Carides and Danielle
• Greek on her father's side and English on her mother's side.
• Welcomed her first child with Anthony LaPaglia, a daughter named Bridget. (January 2003)
• Sister-in-law of actor Jonathan LaPaglia.
• She attended Chatswood High School, the same school as Mark Taylor - a well known Australian cricketer.
• Carides has volunteered as an actress with the Young Storytellers Program.
• Fluent in Greek.

Find more information on Gia Carides at IMDB.