Lainie Kazan arrested for alleged shoplifting

Lainie Kazan in NYC premiere of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2" Facebook/My Big Fat Greek Wedding

"My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star Lainie Kazan was arrested for alleged petty theft.

According to TMZ, the 77-year-old actress loaded up $180 worth of food on a cart at a Gelson's supermarket in San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles. She then put them all in reusable bags, and walked out without paying.

Before reaching her car, however, she was stopped by a store employee, who also called the police. Sources told the media outlet that Kazan's defense for not paying was that she did not have money with her at the time.

Kazan was arrested for petty theft, and was brought to the police station on handcuffs. She was cited and soon released without bail. No further details about her arrest have been given.

Kazan and her representatives have also yet to comment on the incident.

Before exploring the small and big screens, Kazan was a theater actress who acted alongside classmate and then future iconic filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.

In the mid-1960s, she was Barbra Streisand's understudy for the Broadway musical "Funny Girl." Kazan had a golden opportunity to fill in for the famous songstress for one Wednesday, both for the matinee and the evening performance.

Kazan appeared in a total of five Broadway shows. Among them was "My Favorite Year," where she received a Tony Award nomination for best featured actress in 1993.

She also had several important roles on both film and TV. In 1988, she was nominated for a prestigious Emmy for her outstanding guest performance in the medical drama "St. Elsewhere."

Her most iconic role, however, did not arrive until 2002, when she played hilarious mother Maria Portokalos in the romantic comedy film "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." She reprised her role 14 years later, when the characters reunited for a bigger Greek wedding in 2016.

She also played Maxine Rosen in "Desperate Housewives" and Gail in "You Don't Mess with the Zohan."

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