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Nico Lathouris

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Nico Lathouris
Born1944
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
EducationNational Institute of Dramatic Art (BFA)
Occupation(s)Actor, writer
Years active1971–present

Nico Lathouris (born 1944) is an Australian actor and writer. He is best known for his roles as George Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film The Heartbreak Kid and as George Poulos in the 1994 television teen drama spin-off Heartbreak High. In both, he plays a Greek Australian patriarch, father of the protagonist, Nick (Alex Dimitriades).[1] Lathouris was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film at the 1993 Australian Film Institute Awards.[2]

He is also the co-screen writer of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024).[3][4][5]

Life and career

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Lathouris is a second generation Greek Australian, and born to Greek parents in Melbourne.[1]

In 1977, he performed on stage with the Nimrod Theatre Company for David Hare's play, Fanshen.[6]

Lathouris has worked on the television series Police Rescue. At the 1991 Australian Film Institute Awards he was nominated for the AFI Award for Best Lead Actor in a Television Drama.[7]

He also appeared in George Miller's film Mad Max (1979) as a car mechanic. He also ran film and drama workshops for the Australian Film Commission.

He is best known for his roles as George Polides in the 1993 romantic comedy film The Heartbreak Kid and as George Poulos in the 1994 television teen drama spin-off Heartbreak High. In both, he plays a Greek Australian patriarch, father of the protagonist, Nick (Alex Dimitriades). Lathouris was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film at the 1993 Australian Film Institute Awards.[2]

He is also credited by Dimitriades as his mentor on the film and credited the success of the TV series for Lathouris' role as dramaturge, coaching the younger cast members.[8][9] He helped to develop realistic characters from a whole variety of ethnic backgrounds. The series marked a big shift in the way that life in Australia is represented in TV drama. In the past, many shows had not reflected all the different cultures which exist side-by-side in Australia's big cities, and Heartbreak High broke the mould by acknowledging and celebrating the country's cultural mix.

Lathouris is co-screenwriter (alongside George Miller and Brendan McCarthy) of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024).[3][4][5] At the 42nd Saturn Awards he was nominated with Miller and McCarthy for the Saturn Award for Best Writing.[7] The trio were also nominated by the Film Critics Circle of Australia for Best Script/Screenplay.[7]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ a b I died in the original Heartbreak High. Now with the Netflix reboot, people are asking for my autograph in barber shops The Guardian. 24 September 2022
  2. ^ a b When crime becomes personal The Age. 11 July 2002
  3. ^ a b Mad Max: Fury Road review: See it, then see it again SBS. 14 May 2015
  4. ^ a b Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga review: The unexpected, exhilarating road to Fury Road The A.V. Club. 17 May 2024
  5. ^ a b Mad Max: Creating the Apocalypse - In Conversation with George Miller | Digital Season Sydney Opera House. 2021
  6. ^ "Fanshen". Theatre Australia. Sep/Oct 1977
  7. ^ a b c Awards IMDB. Retrieved on 13 July 2024
  8. ^ EXCLUSIVE: Alex Dimitriades: ‘I’ll always be The Heartbreak Kid’ New Idea. 15 March 2021
  9. ^ Original cast members of Heartbreak High, Salvatore Coco and Scott Major remember the best of times Now to Love. 3 June 2024
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