The Late Great Michael Constantine

Michael Constantine, who starred on the classic television sitcom Room 222 and appeared in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), died on August 31 2021 at the age of 94.

Michael Constantine was born Gus Efstratiou on May 22 1927 in Reading, Pennsylvania. His parents were both immigrants from Greece. He graduated from Reading High School and for a time he was the manager of a local grocery store's dairy department. It was a friend who had left for New York City in order to become an actress that convinced him to pursue a career in acting.

Michael Constantine studied acting with actor Howard Da Silva. He made his debut on Broadway as a replacement in Inherit the Wind. Later in the Fifties he appeared in the plays Compulsion and The Miracle Worker. In the Sixties he appeared on Broadway in The Egg and Arturo Ui.

Michael Constantine made his debut on television in an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre in 1958. In 1959 he guest starred on the shows Brenner, The Catholic Hour, The Big Story, and Deadline. In 1960 he guest starred on The Play of the Week. In the Sixties he was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Hey, Landlord, on which he played photographer Jack Ellenhorn. It was in 1969 that he began a five year stint as Principal Seymour Kaufman on Room 222. He made several guest appearances on The Untouchables, playing a different character each time. He also guest starred on the shows The Asphalt Jungle, Cain's Hundred, The New Breed, The Detectives, Target: The Corruptors, The Defenders, Naked City, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, Sam Benedict, The Beachcomber, The Lloyd Bridges Show, The Dakotas, Vacation Playhouse, Channing, The Eleventh Hour, The Greatest Show on Earth, 77 Sunset Strip, Arrest and Trial, The Richard Boone Show, The Twilight Zone, The Great Adventure, The Rogues, Slattery's People, The Outer Limits, Profiles in Courage, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Trials of O'Brien, Perry Mason, Death Valley Days, Hogan's Heroes, The Double Life of Henry Phyfe, My Favorite Martian, Run for Your Life, The Dick Van Dyke Show, 12 O' Clock High, The Jean Arthur Show, I Spy, T.H.E. Cat, The Road West, Combat!, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Fugitive, Dundee and the Culhane, Iron Horse, Ironside, The Invaders, The Flying Nun, Gunsmoke, The Danny Thomas Hour, The Good Guys, Mission: Impossible, The Virginian, and The Name of the Game.

In the Seventies he continued to star on Room 222. He played the lead on the short-lived sitcom Sirota's Court. He played The Sorcerer in several episodes of the "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl" segment of The Krofft Supershow. He guest starred on the television shows The Odd Couple; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Love, American Show; The Bold Ones: The New Doctors; The Streets of San Francisco; Kojak; The Manhunter; Police Woman, MacMillan & Wife; Ellery Queen; and Fantasy Island. He appeared in the mini-series Harold Robbins' 79 Park Avenue and Roots: The Next Generation, as well as several TV movies.

In the Eighties Michael Constantine guest starred on the shows Vega$; Trapper John, M.D.; Palmerstown, U.S.A.; Darkroom; American Playhouse; Lou Grant; It Takes Two; Benson; Quincy, M.E.; The Powers of Matthew Star; Amanda's; The Fall Guy; Matt Houston; The Love Boat; Hotel; Mike Hammer; Mama's Family; Masquerade; Finder of Lost Loves; Airwolf; Highway to Heaven; The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible; Remington Steele; Blacke's Magic; Crazy Like a Fox; Magnum, P.I.; MacGyver; The Law and Harry McGraw; Simon & Simon; Probe; Friday the 13th: The Series; Murder, She Wrote; Hunter; Snoops; Free Spirit; Island Son; and Midnight Caller.

In the Nineties Mr. Constantine guest starred on the shows Homicide: Life on the Street, Law & Order, The Cosby Mysteries, New York News, and Cosby. In the Naughts he reprised his role as Gus from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding in the short-lived sitcom My Big Fat Greek Life. He guest starred on the shows Judging Amy, In-Laws, and Cold Case.

Michael Constantine made his film debut in The Last Mile in 1959. In the Sixties he appeared in the movies The Hustler (1961), Island of Love (1963), Lonnie (1963), Quick, Before It Melts (1964), Beau Geste (1966), Hawaii (1966), In Enemy Country (1968), Skidoo (1968), If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), Justine (1969), Don't Drink the Water (1969), and The Reivers (1969).

In the Seventies he appeared in the movies Peeper (1975), Voyage of the Damned (1976), and The North Avenue Irregulars (1979). In the Eighties Michael Constantine appeared in the movies Forty Days of Musa Dagh (1982), Pray for Death (1985), In the Mood (1987), Prancer (1989), and By a Thread (1990). From the Nineties into the Teens he appeared in the movies Deadfall (1993), My Life (1993), The Juror (1996), Thinner (1996), My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002), and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 (2016).

Michael Constantine was a remarkable actor. He excelled as Seymour Kaufman, the principal with the dry wit, on Room 222. He even won an Emmy for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Comedy for the role. Of course, he will also be remembered as the Windex wielding father of the bride, Gus, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Over the years he played many different roles, all of them well. While he was only on screen briefly in The Hustler, he remains memorable as Big John. He was also memorable as U.S. Army veteran Jack Harmon in If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium. And while the characters for which Michael Constantine is best known tend to rather pleasant, he could play villains. In The Untouchables episode "The King of Champagne," he played Edmund Wald, a bottle manufacturer who decides to start illegally making champagne (keep in mind The Untouchables was set during Prohibition). Of course, he also did a turn as campy villain The Sorcerer on "Electra Woman and Dyna Girl." Michael Constantine was capable of very nuanced performances. In the Twilight Zone episode "I Am the Night--Colour Me Black," Michael Constantine played a sheriff who was conflicted about a man who is about to be executed. Michael Constantine was a truly great actor who gave many good performances throughout his life.