As a stand up comedian, he has travelled around the globe five times to present his shows, while his own comedy program is broadcasted by TV networks in Canada, the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, South Africa and Lebanon.
His new TV show, “Bigger is Better” was viewed by more than 14 million people just in the US.
Angelo Tsarouchas was born in Quebec, Canada, to Greek parents. His father descends from Sparta and his mother from Mytilene. He learned to speak Greek thanks to his mother, who had difficulty conversing in English. Before he became an actor, he worked as a travel agent and had the chance to visit Greece several times.
“Although I thought about it at one point, I didn’t change my last name after all. I realized how many people died so that I could have that name. And I’m glad I didn’t change it. I don’t want to hide my origins. Besides, abroad everyone wants to visit Greece.”
However, this profession turned out to be something temporary and he followed different career paths that eventually led him to acting. He admits that one of the reasons behind his decision to become a comedian was… Harry Klynn, whom he greatly admires.
Despite the fact that many people urged him to change his name, he refused to follow their advice and insisted on retaining “Tsarouchas”. The greatest pleasure he derives from his work is when he meets people and they tell him that he lightens their mood after a difficult day.
The list of celebrities he has worked with includes Robert de Niro, Al Pacino and Russell Crowe (Cinderella Man), while he recently starred in a film called“ Fred and Vinnie”, where he played the world’s fattest vegetarian. At the moment, he is working on a new film, titled “It’s All Greek to Me”, for which he has already completed the script.
Angelo Tsarouchas admits he may have been a bit naïve to believe his cousin during his visit to Melbourne in 2016.
“One of my cousins says, ‘There are a few of us from Dafni, Lakonia, and we want to have a meal with you. Would you like to meet at Vanilla in Oakleigh?’ I agreed and asked how many people he thought would join us. ‘Oh, around 15-20 people,’ I thought, that’s nice,” he told Neos Kosmos.
“I arrive at Vanilla, and there must have been 175 people. I said, ‘Who are all these people?’ He says, ‘Oh, you know, they’re from the village.’ I thought, what happened to the 15-20 people he mentioned?” The “Dafniotes,” like many villagers across Greece, had migrated and spread out to the four corners of the world.
“We’re talking about a place that had maybe 900 people at most. They went to New York, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Melbourne, and a few other places. Melbourne had the most,” Mr. Tsarouchas explained.
As the Greek-Canadian comedian reconnected with old names and faces, an ambitious idea to recreate the scene unfolding before his eyes began to take shape in his mind.
“The idea came to me then. I said, ‘Look, we’re getting older, losing friends and family members. Time is passing. Why don’t we organize a Global Dafni Day in Dafni, Lakonia, near Sparta, Greece, on August 15th?’ I chose August 15 because it’s winter in Australia,” Mr. Tsarouchas said.
As time went on, the page promoting the event gained traction, and before he knew it, he began receiving calls from Greece a month before the departure date.
“Come June, I started getting calls from Greece. Now I thought the village was curious. ‘Let me ask you, what are you planning to do in August?’ I figured people were calling them now… ‘We’re just organizing a day, Global Dafni Day, to bring everyone together and celebrate,’ I told them,” Mr. Tsarouchas said.
There were also concerns about the event’s date, given the numerous Greek festivals during that period, but Mr. Tsarouchas remained determined that the event would go forward.
“Here comes the Greek cynicism. ‘I don’t think anyone will come; it’s ridiculous, what are you doing?’… I told him to have a little faith. Honestly, I thought if we could get 150 people, it would be great! I figured people go to Greece anyway,” he said.
Undeterred by his cousin’s cautious pessimism, Mr. Tsarouchas pressed on with his idea to honor his father’s birthplace and share centuries of history and family heritage with his young daughter.
Soon enough, it was time to pack his bags and head to the airport. Upon returning to Greece, his phone remained relatively quiet for a while… until it didn’t.
“They didn’t tell me much in the village, but another cousin of mine called and said, ‘They’re bringing chairs from other towns; we’re short,’ Mr. Tsarouchas said.
“Aristophanes said that comedy is tragedy over time. If you put the truth into comedy people understand it and love it. Everything that happens in our lives can be funny. The Greeks, however we do it, give me a lot of material. I never make fun of them or belittle them.”
“I asked, ‘How many chairs do you have?’ 1,200. When there’s an event, they call the taverns and reserve tables… Now the guy tells me they don’t have enough chairs.”
Mr. Tsarouchas met with the mayor to finalize the smaller details, all at the last minute.
The Dafniotes came together to set up a beautiful stage and host nearly 2,000 people in their village, originally designed for 900 residents.
By the time August 15 arrived, family, friends, and admirers of Dafni had gathered from all over the world, from neighboring towns and islands, to join in the laughter, dancing, and music that filled this small village just outside Sparta.
Most importantly, at least for Angelo Tsarouchas, was that he shared a very special part of himself and his heritage with the next generation.
“We had a wonderful evening. My mom was there. My daughter was playing in the village, running through the streets where my father once walked, and I told her, ‘If your grandfather were here now, he’d be so proud’… I got up and performed. It was about 37°C that night; I was drenched… But it felt like one big family reunion in the village with everyone from around the world,” he said. “It was amazing.”
One of the phrases the renowned comedian often uses is, “The egg was there, and shortly after, it became an omelet. That’s life. If something seems strange in my life, I just go with it. I don’t resist. If it feels right, just go with it; you never know where it will lead.”
Although many urged him to change his surname at the start of his career, he firmly refused and kept “Tsarouchas.” As for the greatest satisfaction he gets from his work, he believes it comes from meeting people who tell him he lifts their spirits after a tough day.
In film, he has collaborated with Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Russell Crowe in Cinderella Man, while he recently starred in Fred and Vinnie, where he played… the world’s fattest vegetarian! Based on his stand-up comedy, he has just completed the script for the film It’s All Greek to Me! He is also working on the autobiographical documentary Back to Sparta, for which Vince Vaughn is the producer. Both the documentary and the new TV series he is developing include video clips about translating Greek everyday phrases into English and the daily life of Greek families in the diaspora.
In the fall of 2024, Angelo Tsarouchas performed in Athens and Thessaloniki, enjoying great success.
