Thirty-five years in the entertainment industry have left Olympia Dukakis with quite an impressive resume. This actress, director, producer, and teacher has starred in numerous critically acclaimed roles. She has mastered her craft by working in movies, television, and theater. Most recently, Dukakis starred on Broadway in Rose, which was nominated for the Oliver Award as Best New Play. Currently she is filming the third installment of Tales of the City, called "Further Tales of the City," based on a book by Armistead Maupin, to air later this year on Showtime.
She has appeared in over 125 plays on and off Broadway. She has also had a remarkable film career, performing in more than 35 movies, notably Moonstruck, Steel Magnolias, Mr. Holland's Opus, Picture Perfect, Mighty Aphrodite, Mafia, and Look Who's Talking. Dukakis has taught acting at New York University and Yale and is currently teaching master classes at several universities throughout the country.
Dukakis has been honored numerous times for her work on the silver screen and in theater. She was awarded an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in 1987 for her role in Moonstruck. She has twice won the Obie Award for her work in A Man's A Man and The Marriage of Bette and Boo. She has also received the New York Film Critics Award and the Golden Globe Award. In addition to her entertainment career, Dukakis has taken a particular interest in educating women on health issues by lecturing at women's expos.
Through Touching Hearts, a national cholesterol education campaign, Dukakis is working to inform women about their risk for heart disease. She will travel to 14 cities hosting "double screening" events, where women can be screened for high cholesterol and enjoy a free screening of the movie Steel Magnolias, voted the most heart-wrenching movie in a poll of 600 women.
Dukakis lives in northern New Jersey with her husband, actor Louis Zorich. They have three children, Christina, Peter, and Stephan.