Gia Carides

Gia Carides Headshot

Actress

Birth Name: Gia Carides

Birth Date: June 7, 1964

Age: 60 years old

Birth Place: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Spouses: Anthony LaPaglia

Widely acknowledged as one of Australia's most accomplished young actors, Gia Carides has has a career that skyrocketed following her turn as the loud and pushy Liz in Baz Luhrmann's hit movie "Strictly Ballroom" (1992). Though blonde for "Ballroom," this attractive, smokey-voiced brunette began as an ingenue in the genre pic "Midnight Spares" (1982) and appeared in the chronicle of the champion Australian racehorse "Phar Lap" (1983), credited as Georgia Carr. She performed sex acts on her coke-dealer brother in exchange for drugs in "Bliss" (1985) and was convincing as a rookie cop in "Backlash" (1986). For the latter, she and co-star Trevor Darling turned to improvisation to fully realize their parts, contributing so much in the process that they both earned screenwriting credits.

Carides teamed with her significant other, fellow Aussie Anthony LaPaglia, in "Paperback Romance" (1994), playing Sophie, a disabled erotic writer whose inadvertent readings aloud turn-on a handsome jeweler (LaPaglia) and plunge them together with Rebecca Gibney into a triangle that unfortunately does not generate the requisite dramatic tension. "Brilliant Lies" (1996) reunited the two, but this time as antagonists with Carides accusing former employer LaPaglia of sexual harassment and unfair dismissal in this Australian courtroom drama. She also portrayed Cashmere McCloud, the president's former mistress (please, no comparisons to Gennifer Flowers) in Mike Nichols' film adaptation of the best-seller "Primary Colors" (1998).

Credits

Austin

Actor
Mel Hogan
Show
2024

Nugget Is Dead? A Christmas StoryStream

Actor
Movie
2024

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3Stream

Actor
Nikki
Movie
2023
31%

Back to the Outback

Voice
Doreen / Dolores' Mother
Movie
2021

Filthy RichStream

Guest Star
Veronica
Series
2020
64%

Penguin BloomStream

Actor
Megan
Movie
2020
67%

We Only Know So Much

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Trudy
Movie
2018

Twin PeaksStream

Actor
Hannah
Series
2017

Twin PeaksStream

Guest Star
Hannah
Series
2017

Big Little LiesStream

Guest Star
Melissa
Series
2017
89%

My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2Stream

Actor
Nikki
Movie
2016
27%

This Isn't Funny

Actor
Gillian Jones
Movie
2015

The LibrariansStream

Guest Star
Lenore Jones
Series
2014

We Are MenStream

Guest Star
Frank's Ex-Wife
Series
2013
4%

Annie and the Gypsy

Actor
Movie
2012

Small Time Gangster

Actor
Darlene
Show
2011

Burning Man

Actor
Carol
Movie
2011

Year One

Actor
Queen
Movie
2009

East of Everything

Actor
Show
2008

Stick It

Actor
Alice
Movie
2006

My Big Fat Greek LifeStream

Actor
Series
2003
0%

Exposed

Actor
Jade Blake
Movie
2003

Without a TraceStream

Guest Star
Series
2002

My Big Fat Greek WeddingStream

Actor
Cousin Nikki
Movie
2002
76%

Thank Heaven

Actor
Cybil
Movie
2001

The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave

Actor
Sandy
Movie
2000

Maze

Actor
Julianne
Movie
2000

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged MeStream

Actor
Robin Spitz Swallows
Movie
1999
53%

A Secret AffairStream

Actor
Mimi
Movie
1999

Primary ColorsStream

Actor
Cashmere McLeod
Movie
1998
80%

Letters From a Killer

Actor
Lita
Movie
1998

Lifebreath

Actor
Gale Pullman
Movie
1997

Devil's Child

Actor
Eva
Movie
1997

Firehouse

Actor
Charlotte Brooks
Movie
1997

Brilliant Lies

Actor
Susy Connor
Movie
1996

The Cottonwood

Actor
Kathy
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1996

The Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space

Actor
Vesper, Vox's High Priestess
Movie
1995

ERStream

Guest Star
Suzanne Alner
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1994

Bad Company

Actor
Julie Ames
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1994

Lucky Break

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Sophie
Movie
1994

Ultraman: Towards the Future

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Jean Echo
Show
1992

Strictly BallroomStream

Actor
Liz Holt
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1992

Greenkeeping

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Gina
Movie
1992

Ven a Bailar Conmigo

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Movie
1992

Police Rescue

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Helena Angelopoulos
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1991

The Girl Who Came Late

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Wendy
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1991

Daydream Believer

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Wendy
Movie
1990

Ultraman: The Alien Invasion

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Jean Echo
Movie
1990

Backlash

Actor
Nikki Iceton
Movie
1986

Bliss

Actor
Lucy Joy
Movie
1985

Midnite Spares

Actor
Ruth
Movie
1983

Phar Lap

Actor
Emma
Movie
1983