Effie Stephanidis

Last updated

Efthimia Francesca Stephanidis, better known as just "Effie", is an outrageous comedic character played by Australian actress Mary Coustas. Coustas depicts a stereotypical second-generation Greek Australian.

Contents

History

Origins

The character originated in the popular Seven network comedy program Acropolis Now , which ran from 1989 to 1992. [1] Since then, the character has appeared in Effie, Just Quietly (2001), [2] and hosting the short-lived 2003 talk show Greeks On The Roof [3] (based on the British series The Kumars at No. 42 ) in character with other actors playing her family. She has also appeared in a number of television commercials (most recently for AAPT).

Effie's catchphrases include "How embarrassment!" (see malapropism) in response to any potentially embarrassing situation. She greets people with "Hello, good thanks" before they have even asked her how she is feeling.

1992: Recording

In 1992, "Effie" released a novelty single: a duet with another fictional character, Garry McDonald's Norman Gunston, recording their version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Amigos Para Siempre", [4] the official song of the 1992 Summer Olympics (originally performed by Sarah Brightman and José Carreras). The single reached the Top 20 chart in Australia.

Coustas wrote a book based on the character: Effie’s Guide to Being Up Yourself ( ISBN   0-7336-1761-1), published in September 2003 by Mark McLeod Books.

2021

Effie returned to the stage with Hello Good Thanks - Better Out Than In comedy show. [5]

Discography

Singles

TitleYearPeak chart positions
AUS
[6]
"Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)"
(with Norman Gunston)
199227

Awards

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a set of annual ceremonies presented by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which recognise excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of the music of Australia. They commenced in 1987.

YearNominee / workAwardResultRef.
1993 "Amigos Para Siempre"/"Venereal Girl (Tribute to Madonna)" (with Norman Gunston) Best Comedy Release Nominated [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

Nicholas Giannopoulos is an Australian stand-up comedian, stage, TV and film actor and film director. He is best known for his comedy stage show Wogs Out of Work alongside George Kapiniaris, the television sitcom Acropolis Now and The Wog Boy film series and has been described as "Australia's leading exponent of "wog" humour".

Acropolis Now was an Australian television sitcom set in a fictional Greek cafe, called the "Acropolis Cafe" in Melbourne that ran for 63 episodes broadcast from 9 August 1989 to 4 November 1992 on the Seven Network. It was created by Nick Giannopoulos, George Kapiniaris and Simon Palomares, who also starred in the series. They were already quite well known for their comedy stage show, Wogs out of Work. The title is a nameplay on the film Apocalypse Now. Each episode was 20 minutes in length and filmed in front of a live audience.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elliot Goblet</span> Australian comedian

Elliot Goblet is a comedy character created by the Australian comedian Jack Levi. The character is known for the deadpan delivery of one-line jokes. The style compares with the American comedian Steven Wright but developed independently. At first Goblet appeared with round glasses and a goatee beard, but the beard was later removed.

Norman Gunston is a satirical TV character performed by Australian actor and comedian Garry McDonald. Norman Gunston was primarily well known in his native Australia, and to a lesser extent, the United States during the mid to late 1970s. He was the only Gold Logie winning fictional character on Australian television, with McDonald collecting the 1976 Gold Logie and the George Wallace Memorial Logie for Best New Talent in character.

Garry George McDonald AO is an Australian actor, satirist and comedian. In a career spanning five decades he has had many theatre, television and film roles, and has been listed as a National Living Treasure. He is best known as the seemingly naive celebrity interviewer Norman Gunston, through whom he pioneered the "ambush interviewer" technique since followed by many others. He received a Gold Logie award for the television Norman Gunston Show in which he developed the character. He is also famed for his role of the hapless Arthur Beare in the television sitcom Mother and Son. Appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2003 for service to the community in the mental health field and to the arts as an entertainer, he has also been a board member of the Australian mental health organisation Beyond Blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Coustas</span> Australian actress and comedian

Mary Coustas is an Australian actress, comedian and television personality and writer. Originally from Melbourne, Coustas often performs as the character "Effie", a stereotypical second-generation Greek Australian prone to malapropisms. She completed a Bachelor of Arts at Deakin University in Melbourne, majoring in performing arts and sub-majoring in journalism.

Greeks on the Roof was a short-lived Australian television talk show and variety show that ran for 11 episodes on the Seven Network from 1 April to 1 July 2003. It was hosted by the actress/comedian Mary Coustas in character as Effie, a second generation Greek Australian, whom she had portrayed on the sitcom Acropolis Now, and featured her "family" of Greek immigrants portrayed by Maria Mercedes, Angus Sampson as cousin Dimi, Serge De Nardo, and Evelyn Krape.

Mary-Anne Fahey credited also as Maryanne Fahey, is an Australian actress, comedian, screenwriter and children's author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akmal Saleh</span> Australian comedian

Akmal Saleh is an Egyptian-Australian comedian and actor. He was born in Egypt and arrived in Sydney with his family in 1975 at the age of 10. He has been performing comedy since the early 1990s and his live shows have toured comedy festivals both within Australia and internationally. He has also made guest appearances on numerous Australian television series such as Superwog.

Joanne Rebecca Guilfoyle, known professionally as Jo Beth Taylor, is an Australian television presenter, actress and singer most well known for hosting three weekly programs at the same time in the 1990s on the Nine Network: Australia's Funniest Home Video Show (1993–1997), Hey Hey It's Saturday (1995–1997) and What's Up Doc? (1996–1997), before taking a hiatus from television for more than two years.

<i>Live at the Acropolis</i> 1994 Yanni album and film

Live at the Acropolis is the first live album and concert film by the Greek keyboardist, composer, and producer Yanni, released on March 1, 1994, on Private Music. It was recorded at the Herodes Atticus Theatre in Athens, Greece during his 1993 tour in support of his eighth studio album, In My Time (1993). The concert took a year and a half to organise and cost Yanni $2 million of his own money to fund. He performs with his six-piece band and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Shahrdad Rohani. The album was mixed and produced by Yanni in his studio, and was made into a television special which aired in the United States on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amigos Para Siempre</span> 1992 song

"Amigos Para Siempre", also called "Amics per sempre" in Catalan, is a song recorded by British soprano Sarah Brightman and Spanish tenor José Carreras, with music composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics written by Don Black. It was one of the two official theme songs of the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona, Spain.

<i>Hercules Returns</i> 1993 Australian film

Hercules Returns is a 1993 Australian comedy film directed by David Parker, starring David Argue, Michael Carman, Bruce Spence and Mary Coustas. The film has a cult following in Australia and other countries. It has been released in DVD format.

<i>Sarah Brightman Sings the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber</i> 1992 studio album by Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman Sings the Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber is a 1992 full-length album released in conjunction with Sarah Brightman's world tour The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The album contains most of the songs performed regularly on that tour and features all-new recordings, with the exception of "Pie Jesu", "All I Ask of You", "The Phantom of the Opera", "Anything but Lonely", and "Amigos Para Siempre ". The album was re-released in Japan with a different cover and peaked #242 in the Oricon charts.

The Seventh Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 14 April 1993 at the Entertainment Centre in Sydney. Host, Richard Wilkins, was assisted by presenters, James Reyne, Elle Macpherson, Billy Birmingham, Tim Finn, Neil Finn, Daryl Somers and others, to distribute 24 awards. There were live performances and the awards were televised.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian comedy</span> Australian television series

Australian comedy refers to the comedy and humour performed in or about Australia or by the people of Australia. Australian humour can be traced to various origins, and today is manifested in a diversity of cultural practices and pursuits. Writers like Henry Lawson and Banjo Paterson helped to establish a tradition of laconic, ironic and irreverent wit in Australian literature, while Australian politicians and cultural stereotypes have each proved rich sources of comedy for artists from poet C. J. Dennis to satirist Barry Humphries to iconic film maker Paul Hogan, each of whom have given wide circulation to Australian slang.

Sally Patience is an Australian actress and one of the country's most prominent voice-over artists. She was born in Melbourne and grew up in the city's south eastern suburbs. She attended the Victorian College of the Arts where she trained as a dancer. Sally Patience worked in the dance field for several years before moving into acting and ultimately voice-over work where she continues to work today.

<i>Together</i> (Marina Prior and Mark Vincent album) 2016 studio album by Marina Prior and Mark Vincent

Together is a collaborative studio album by Australian singer Marina Prior and Mark Vincent. The album was released through Sony Music Australia on 15 April 2016 and peaked at number 5 on the ARIA Albums Chart three weeks later.

<i>Aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber</i> 1992 studio album by Marina Prior

Aspects of Andrew Lloyd Webber is the second studio album by Australian singer Marina Prior featuring Melbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Brian Stacey. It was released in November 1992 and peaked at number 22 on the ARIA Albums Chart. The album was certified gold for shipment of 35000 copies.

References

  1. Acropolis Now at The Internet Movie Database
  2. Effie: Just Quietly at The Internet Movie Database
  3. Greeks on the Roof at The Internet Movie Database
  4. Tatchell, Peter, Norman Gunston, on laughterlog.com, 2009
  5. "Australian comedy icon Effie returns to the stage with hilarious new show". February 2021.
  6. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 79.
  7. "ARIA Awards Best Comedy Release". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 17 April 2022.