Constantine was a busy character actor for five decades, winning an Emmy for his role as school principal Seymour Kaufman on the 1970 ABC series “Room 222.”
But his most memorable role was that of family patriarch Gus Portokalos in the hugely successful independent film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.”
In that film, Constantine played a loving but overprotective father who was immensely proud of his legacy and insisted that virtually every minor physical illness could be cured with Windex. Constantine reprized the role in a sequel to the film, as well as in the short-lived television series “My Big Fat Greek Life.”
Constantine’s family says he died in Reading, Pennsylvania, on Aug. 31 after a long illness, according to a Reading Eagle article confirmed to CNN by his agent, Julia Buchwald.
Constantine was a native of Reading and the son of Greek immigrants, according to the newspaper.
In 1976, Constantine told Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” host that, growing up, “I really thought, then, I was going to be a tramp,” until he discovered his love of acting.
“Michael Constantine, the father of our cast family, a gift to the written word and always a friend,” Nia Vardalos, the writer and star of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” tweeted on wednesday. “Acting with him came with a lot of love and fun. I will appreciate this man who gave life to Gus. He made us laugh so much and he deserves a break now. We love you Michael.”