The 10 things you probably never knew about Mary Coustas.

By MAMAMIA TEAM

Australian actress, comedian, and television personality Mary Coustas is best known for her role as the hilarious, loudmouthed, stereotypical second-generation Greek Australian teen ‘Effie’ from the hit comedy show Acropolis Now.

If you were born before the 1990s you’ll know exactly who we’re talking about (and most probably you can hear her voice ringing in your ears). If you are unfortunate enough to have missed the four year television phenomenon that was ‘Effie Stephanidis’, here is a little bit of a taster for you.

It’s easy to forget that Mary, actually, isn’t Effie. Australia’s love for Effie (well, an annoyingly endearing kind of love) is so overwhelming that you truly believe they are one and the same. But there is much more to know about Mary Coustas, and here was have narrowed the list down to just 10 things that you probably never knew about her.

1. She studied drama (no surprise) AND Journalism at Deakin University in Melbourne.

2. Before Acropolis Now shot her to stardom, Mary Coustas starred in the comedy stage show Wogs Out of Work alongside Nick Giannopoulos, George Kapiniaris and Simon Palomares.

3. Coustas became Effie in the hit comedy TV show Acropolis Now.

4. When the show Acropolis Now ended, Australia had become so obsessed with Effie the gel-haired-goddess that Mary Coustas launched her own one-woman stage show called ‘Waiting for Effie’.

5. Despite the show not winning any awards, Mary Coustas won the 1993 Logie for Most Popular Comedy Performer for her role as Effie.

6. Mary wrote a book based on her character Effie titled: Effie’s Guide to Being Up Yourself

7. She has been married to advertising and marketing executive George Betsis since 2005.

8. Mary has greatly struggled with infertility and endured more than 15 rounds of IVF treatment in the hopes of falling pregnant.

9. After IVF failed, Coustas and her husband decided to try using donor eggs. Mary finally fell pregnant will triplets but was then forced her to make one of the most terrible decisions a pregnant woman could ever face: aborting two of her babies to save the third. Unfortunately at 22 weeks’ pregnant, she went into labour and lost the third baby. You can read more about Mary’s lost triplets here.

10. She has written and recently released a new memoir ‘All I Know’. The book looks back at her acting career, and also reflects on the love and loss that she has faced in her life.