The Lifestyle RepublicThe Lifestyle Republic
  • The Daily
  • Features
  • Self Essentials
  • Culture
  • About Lifestyle Republic
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Lifestyle RepublicThe Lifestyle Republic
  • The Daily
  • Features
  • Culture
  • Self Essentials
     
The Lifestyle RepublicThe Lifestyle Republic

From the Dark Streets to the Spotlight: Comedian/Actor/Producer Greg “The Greek”

Nick ChristophersBy Nick ChristophersMay 2014 Features
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Sometimes you need to survive a tragedy to find your place in the world. This would be the case for upcoming comedian/actor Greg “The Greek” Kritikos. Greg was raised on the tough streets of Astoria, Queens from 1971 through the 80’s. He came to America from Greece at a very young age along with his father, mother and sister. His father was a professional soccer player for the team Panagialo. After he retired from the sport decided to move to New York.

Growing up in the predominantly Irish / Italian section of Astoria was not so simple for Greg. All of his countrymen lived along Ditmars Boulevard nowhere near where he was. Unfortunately, he became a victim of bullying and was involved in many altercations. This led to his growing animosity towards life. At twelve years old that animosity grew to an almost festering cauldron.

Greg’s mother was hit by a drunken driver and she lost her leg and became an amputee. What made it worse was any help that was suppose to come from the government after the accident never materialized. These two key parts of his life led to his falling in line with the local tough element of Astoria. His new found Greek friends were tagged the “Steinway Boys” a group that even “yours truly” knew well.

Greg would end up in prison around 1988 when released he returned to the streets. Yet after many years of abusing alcohol and running with the wrong crowd something was due to break. At that time he was well over-weight at a staggering 385 lbs. He was then admitted for seven days of detox treatment at East Rockaway Saint Johns Hospital. Then three and half months at Phoenix House in Long Island City, there he made a pact with himself to truly turn his life around.

ADVERTISEMENT

He did just that when he meet a lady friend of his who approached him about doing stand-up comedy. At first he waived it off but then decided to take a crack at it. He soon found himself on stage at the New York Comedy club and made a go at it. For his first run he did fairly well.

“Comedy comes with pain, everyone has a story,” says Greg.

This would lead the road him doing shows in Washington, Idaho and Illinois. He has incorporated his fight with obesity, drinking and his “Goodfellas” lifestyle into his show. Locations like Spokane, WA ate up his show as Greg opened the door to a world they only see on TV. He goes by the name “Greg The Greek” which is simple and fitting. He lived in Washington for six months learning the ins and outs of the land which he added into his skit. The crowd was astonished at his knowledge of the area which helped make his show there a success. Also a close friend of Greg’s, Lou Calos produced a show in Spokane, Washington for him at the Bing Crosby Theatre. Lou is from NYC PRYME.
“I found the people of that area of America very genuine.”

The first show he did in Washington was at Uncle D’s which is the #1 comedy club in the area. He knocked it out of the park and went on to states like Idaho and Oregon. The “funny bug” hit him early in life but he did not realize his potential till many years later. When he was growing up he was always attracted to the comedians in the industry. His favorite was Jackie Gleason he practically knows every episode of the “Honeymooners.”

“I am living my dream. I will never forget my first gig at the New York Comedy club and my good friend Vito told me. Just be yourself and you will be fine. With no script or real prep work I went out and gave them my all. It went great.”

Besides the comedy shows Greg has also entered into the film world with a big step. He has already taken on roles in five productions “79 Parts”, “City of Gold”, “Pleasure Principals”, “Psycotics” and the upcoming TV show “Scriptless”. Besides these projects he has also began working on a film about his own life. The first of two installments is “Son of a Shoemaker” and then “Stories of Astoria”. The first chronicles his relationship with his father as the other follows him and his gang the “Steinway Boys”.

Alan Bendich is the creator/producer/director and an actor of the new TV series “Scriptless”. When Alan first thought of creating “Scriptless”, the first actor he thought of to star in it was Greg Kritikos. Unfortunately, Greg was doing his comedy on the West Coast playing before massive crowds. Upon Greg’s return east he heard about “Scriptless” and contacted Alan Bendich and Alan asked him to join the production. Greg Kritkos is not only a star in “Scriptless”, but because of his acting ability, intelligence and business savvy, Alan has named him Associate Producer of “Scriptless”. Together they plan to bring this unique TV show, which will air on TV in Westchester, NY, to an ever increasing number of viewers.

“Stories of Astoria” is produced by Greg and has already hit YouTube with a one minute teaser http://youtu.be/XCBaUXeyiPI. The man playing Greg’s father in the film is Alan Bendich who is currently working with Greg on the TV show “Scriptless”. Greg owes a lot to Alan and has had a pleasure working with him. Greg is on a mission to keep making people laugh and developing his acting. He is a focused and changed man. May God help us!

 

Join The Lifestyle Republic Newsletter

Get the latest news from TLSR straight into your inbox.

   
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Email
Currenty Trending

ZOEY ZO PERFECTING HER ART ON THE STAGE

HELPING OTHERS REINVENT THEMSELVES WITH LIFE COACH MARÍA TOMÁS-KEEGAN

THE PIT BULL OF BOXING FABIANO PENA PACKING A CHAMPIONSHIP PUNCH

DJ DIEZEL IS DRILLING HIS WAY INTO THE SPOTLIGHT ONE BEAT AT A TIME

Ex-Mob Wife bares the “scars” that have paved her future: Toni Marie Ricci

Features

ZOEY ZO PERFECTING HER ART ON THE STAGE

THE PIT BULL OF BOXING FABIANO PENA PACKING A CHAMPIONSHIP PUNCH

Ex-Mob Wife bares the “scars” that have paved her future: Toni Marie Ricci

The Date Sheet: Exes + Owes
  • In Public (Nah, Right?)
    Published on 2022-07-07
  • No Scrubs
    Published on 2022-06-16
  • You're Makin' Me...Low
    Published on 2022-05-12
  • Love is All We Need
    Published on 2022-04-14
  • Lowered Expections (First Dates)
    Published on 2022-04-01

Join the Newsletter

Get the latest news from TLSR.


   
About Lifestyle Republic  •  Contact Us  •  Privacy Policy  •  Corporate Website
© 2023 Lifestyle Republic, a unit of Suite929 LLC

OUR PUBLISHING NETWORK:
Suite929tv   •   Firm Biz   •   Tech We Like   •   G Style Magazine   •   THIRTYLIST   •   The 9ine Podcast Network

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT