Andréas Voutsinas became the original Carmen Ghia after befriending Mel's girlfriend of the time Anne Bancroft. She recommended him to Mel and said he would be perfect for the part, and the rest is comedic history. When Voutsinas was cast as Carmen Ghia he had a thick Greek accent and had just moved from Greece to America. He currently resides in France and has appeared in many French and Greek films including Safe Sex (1999) and Le Grand bleu (1988). Voutsinas also runs an acting workshop, The Theatre Des Cinquante in Paris, France.
Was Jane Fonda's acting coach and boyfriend in the early 1960's. Directed Jane in her third broadway show "The Fun Couple" that lasted 3 performances.
