Actress Lainie Kazan, who portrayed the role of the mother in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, was arrested on Christmas Eve for shoplifting groceries.

Arrested For Shoplifting

The 77-year-old actress who played the hilarious mother Maria Portokalos in the 2002 hit comedy, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and the 2016 sequel that followed, was arrested on Sunday, Dec. 24. She was arrested for stealing groceries from a store in Los Angeles.

According to TMZ, Kazan entered a Gelson's supermarket in California's San Fernando Valley area at approximately 4 p.m. on Sunday and loaded her cart with groceries worth $180.

She then placed the food items into several reusable shopping bags, walked out of the store and tried to make a run for her car but an employee from the supermarket stopped her and called the police.

When she was apprehended, Kazan claimed that she left without paying for the groceries because she did not have any money to pay for the items. The actress was then arrested for petty theft, handcuffed and escorted to a police station where she was cited and released from custody without bail.

Kazan's Acting Career

Although Kazan is best known for her role in one of Hollywood's highest grossing romantic comedies, she has been acting since the late 1960s. The actress also picked up an Emmy nod for her guest appearance on the show St. Elsewhere in 1988.

She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance in the 1982 film, My Favorite Year, and also received a Tony award nomination for the musical adaptation of the film. Apart from the My Big Fat Greek Wedding films, the actress has also featured in films such as The Delta Force (1986), Harry and the Hendersons (1987), and Beaches (1988) among others.

She also made several appearances on television shows, including Ugly Betty, in which she featured as the mother of Bobby, a character who was soon to become the main character's (America Ferrera) brother-in-law.

She also appeared in an episode of Fire and Nice as well as Season 7 of Desperate Housewives, in which she played a self-employed neighbor of Teri Hatcher's character.

Earlier this month, another star from the cast of My Big Fat Greek Wedding was in the news. Actor Bruce Gray, who played the father of the groom in the popular comedy, died on Dec. 13, at the age of 81 after losing a battle with cancer.

Tags: Lainie Kazan My Big Fat Greek Wedding