I feel that the industry can be sliced into two categories - grateful actors and non-grateful actors. I'm always so appreciative that this has happened for me - and against all odds - as a middle child from Canada. I'm very grateful.

We were so unprepared that when my husband took off to get groceries, and we'd adopted a 3-year-old, he came back with baby formula, a steak and a teething ring. We had no idea what we were doing. But you learn. There's no way to fully prepare. Just eyes wide open - jump.

You're never too fat for a new purse.

The popular girls let me hang out with them because I was funny. They told me that. 'You're not popular, but you're funny.' Now all my friends are funny.

You're not ethnic enough. You're not fat enough. You're not thin enough. You're not blond enough. You're not dark enough. You're not young enough. You're not old enough.

Socially, the issue of men's weight is simply not a big deal. Let's face it: Russell Crowe is fat, and no one ever talks about it. Alec Baldwin just orders his suits a size bigger, and we continue to swoon.

It's not like suddenly, when you become a working actor all your friends are in the same situation. I have friends who are still handing out flyers for their one-woman show and trying to make ends meet.

I'm not one of those people that can suddenly start running and hire a Pilates trainer; it's just not my thing.

I have no idea how to use social media for anything other than forwarding a good fart joke.

I consider myself a fearless idiot.

Ever since I became a parent, time moves far too quickly. My vision always feels like I'm wearing giant kaleidoscope-goggles.

I have had the same person show up in a few cities with flowers. A lovely gentleman who gave me a picture of himself. I came home, gave it to Ian, and said, 'If I go missing, here's the guy.'

The media was always so focused on the money a movie makes. But I was in Times Square, and a bunch of Japanese tourists looked at me and started shouting, 'Toula!' I loved it. It's these tiny moments of connection that register with me the most and always have.

It wasn't easy to adopt an American child. Actually it's quite simple, but finding out how to do it was the hard part.

I do get approached every day by people who say, 'Why don't you make more movies?' I don't really miss it when I get to go and watch my daughter in the Christmas pageant.

And (cue music swell) motherhood turned out to be the most meaningful thing I've ever done with my life. Really.

My heroes in real life are definitely my mom for being true to herself, for having a foot in both worlds, for being so very polite - Canadian and also such a traditional Greek woman. I would sum it up this way: the life lesson she would say is be polite while you're breaking the rules.

On the publicity tour of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding,' I was asked over and over again, if, as the writer, I felt it was a fair depiction of real life to have someone of my er, below average looks, hook up with hottie John Corbett.

I couldn't get an acting job to save my life when I moved to L.A.

Socially, the issue of men's weight is simply not a big deal.

My mum came to the set of my second movie 'Connie and Carla,' and she had made food for the whole cast, including mini bun cakes with little flowers sticking out of each one.

Don't settle; don't compromise. Freeze your eggs, get your sociology doctorate, worry more about war and pestilence and the incredible inequality of geographical birth than finding your soulmate.

I don't like it if I act anything other than the humble Winnipegger I was raised to be.

Because I am a character actor, I thought I would be the fourth or eighth banana on a sitcom, and that would be OK.