'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' is 20: Nia Vardalos shares lesson she learned from making the film

The hit romantic comedy "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" was released 20 years ago today.

In honor of the anniversary, Nia Vardalos, who played Toula Portokalos in the film, reflected on writing the script for the film and detailed what she learned from the initial pushback she received.

Sharing a thread on Twitter centered on the 20-year anniversary, Vardalos wrote, "When agents/managers said my script wasn’t good and actors shouldn’t write, I recall wondering why they were angry. They fired me."

"So, I changed the material into a solo stage show," she continued. "@RitaWilson saw the play and said, ‘this should be a movie.’ I handed her my screenplay, this creator & producer got the film made with me as the lead. We premiered in 106 theaters, expanded to more, ran for over a year."

Vardalos, who received an Oscar nomination for best screenplay and a Golden Globe nomination for best actress for the film, also commented on the mixed reactions it received.

"People full of love loved it, and again some were snide, hateful," Vardalos said.

The film, produced by Wilson, her husband Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman, ended up grossing $368 million worldwide.

She expanded on the opportunities the film brought for her career and the success she went on to have.

"I was nominated 🏆 for everything, went on to write and act in films that make people happy, employed hundreds of people, wrote and performed a New York Times Critics Pick play which has been licensed hundreds of times, wrote a bestselling book whose proceeds get children adopted," she summarized.

She also shared her takeaway from the film's initial rejection and what she went through to bring it to the big screen.

"Some people who don’t create anything including jobs to make situations better, will tell you that what you do is wrong," she says she learned. "You can’t make anyone embrace change, marginalized voices or new ideas. So love yourself. And write your story. ✏️"

The film's sequel, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2," was released in 2016, and Vardalos confirmed last year that she has written a third film for the series, called "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3."