Nia Vardalos to play reluctant celebrity in TV comedy

My Big Fat Greek Wedding star Nia Vardalos is to play a suburban housewife who becomes a reluctant celebrity in a new TV comedy she wrote.
The actress/writer is developing Suburbs Famous with TV bosses at America’s Bravo network.
Vardalos has co-written the comedy with Raising Hope creator Mike Mariano.
“Suburbs Famous explores the concept of how it seems to be quite easy to become famous,” Vardalos says in a statement, revealing viral sensation Chewbacca Mom inspired the concept.
The 37-year-old Texas mother became an overnight star when video of her laughing while wearing a Chewbacca mask surfaced online.
“I wanted to explore the concept of sudden fame for someone who isn’t prepared and doesn’t want it, for someone who gets power and doesn’t know what to do with it, as well as what happens next,” Vardalos adds.
The actress will mine moments from her own sudden rise to fame following the unexpected success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding for the new TV series, admitting it was tough to stay “normal” when she went from being an unrecognisable person to having paparazzi follow her around.
“I worked hard to maintain my normal, average life every day, not wanting a personal assistant for example,” she says. “You have struggles to maintain your ethics, morals and friendships.”
Suburbs Famous won’t be Nia’s first TV venture – she recently appeared on Nick Nolte’s Graves and The Catch.