OurBiography

Olympia Dukakis received a 1988 Academy Award for her supporting role as Cher’s mom in the film Moonstruck.

Synopsis

On June 20, 1931, actress Olympia Dukakis was born to Greek immigrants in Lowell, Massachusetts. She graduated from Boston University with two degrees. In 1988, she won an Academy Award for her role as Cher’s mother in the film Moonstruck. Her career includes movies such as Steel Magnolias and Mr. Holland’s Opus. She published her autobiography, Ask Me Again Tomorrow: A Life in Progress, in 2003.

Profile

Actress. Born June 20, 1931 in Lowell, Massachusetts. The daughter of Greek immigrants, Dukakis earned two degrees from Boston University and worked as a physical therapist while pursuing a stage career. Notable films include Steel Magnolias, Mr. Holland's Opus and Mighty Aphrodite.

Known for her deadpan humor and motherly charm, Dukakis won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance as Cher's mother Rose Castorini in Moonstruck in 1987. She was also nominated for an Emmy for her performance as Anna Madrigal in the public television miniseries Tales of the City.

Her bestselling autobiography Ask Me Again Tomorrow: A Life in Progress was published in 2003.