Bess Meisler is an American actress. She gained recognition for her portrayal of Grandma Yiayia in the beloved romantic comedy My Big Fat Greek Wedding. However, she has not appeared on screen since the movie’s 2016 continuation.
Bess Meisler Quick Facts
Full name: Bess Meisler
Date of birth: July 19, 1922
Age: 101 years old (in 2024)
Gender: Female
Birth sign: Cancer
Place of birth: United States
Nationality: American
Profession: Actress
Biography
Bess Meisler was born on July 19, 1922. She is among a select group of Hollywood stars who have reached the milestone of living over 100 years.
Other notable stars who have also achieved this feat include Norman Lear, Iris Apfel, Micheline Presle, June Spencer, Caren Marsh Doll, Kirk Douglas, Olivia de Havilland, Janis Paige, Luise Rainer, and Norman Lloyd.
Career
Bess Meisler‘s acting journey began in the world of theatre. In 1981, she took the Broadway stage for the first time in Fiddler on the Roof’s musical remake. Her versatile skills allowed her to take on multiple roles as a swing actor, including Yente, Goldie, and Shandel.
At the age of 65, she finally had her television debut in 1987 as Mrs. Patelli on Hunter. It wasn’t until 2002, after taking on various projects, that she landed her major role as Yiayia, the anxious grandmother of Toula and mother of Kosta, in My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
The film’s sequel, released in 2016, included Meisler as a feature. In an interview on ‘Today’, Nia Vardalos, who portrays Toula in the film, revealed that she was the cause of the 14-year gap between the two movies. Nia said,
The wait is entirely my fault – all my fault – I wanted to wait until motherhood, and luckily, I did recently become a mother, and I started writing on my daughter’s first day of kindergarten.
And here we are…Honestly, so much changed when we got to the set on the first day. I’m a parent now. Joey’s a parent, and things have changed in our lives.
Bess was not included in the third installment of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which was released in 2023. Other actors who were absent from the 2023 sequel include the late Michael Constantine, who passed away in 2021, as well as Alex Wolf and Ian Gomez. In the popular drama Beverly Hills, 90210, she portrayed the role of Rose Zuckerman.
Where is Bess Meisler now?
Although Bess Meisler had limited appearances on screen, her impact on the film industry has been significant. Even though she is no longer in the public eye, her role as Yiayia in MBFGW continues to be remembered and cherished.
