That really was Nia Vardalos, star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, visiting Cafe Bido in Rocky Point Road. Look inside and you will see Nia has signed the movie posters on display.

Obviously, Nia was in Australia to promote her new film My Life in Ruins, opening in cinemas today. But why Sans Souci?

Because the owner/manager of Cafe Bido is Nick Vardalos and Nia is his big Greek sister.

Originally from Winnipeg in Canada, Nick moved to Australia with his shire bride, Alexandra Cassamatis, whom he met when she visited Canada with some Vardalos cousins from Australia.

Big fat Greek weddings seem to run in the family. Nick and Alexandra had one and so did Nia and her American actor husband, Ian Gomez.

"That first big movie is actually an amalgam of funny stories from Vardolas family weddings,'' Nick said.

"There is a scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding when the groom is given some embarrassing Greek language tips by the bride's brother.

"That really happened.''

My Big Fat Greek Wedding became a worldwide phenomenon after its release in 2002.

For a film with a $5 million budget, it went on to earn $400 million worldwide and gained Nia Vardolis an Academy Award nomination for best original screenplay.

"Nia has been very generous to us,'' Nick said.

"She flew us to Los Angeles for the Academy Awards and we were in the audience.

"She didn't win, but we did meet the producer of the film who was Tom Hanks. He was such a nice man.''

Nick's Cafe Bido is at 371a Rocky Point Road, Sans Souci.