Kinnear, a member of the Class of 1981, visited the ACS campus last week, offering students an emotional look at the place where he first explored his interest in performance and media.
Greg Kinnear, the Oscar-nominated actor and one of ACS Athens’ most prominent alumni, returned to his former school on Friday while in Greece filming a new feature project.
Kinnear, a member of the Class of 1981, visited the American Community Schools of Athens on November 21, offering students an emotional look at the place where he first explored his interest in performance and media. The stop came amid production on an untitled film shooting in Athens and Italy, part of one of the busiest stretches of his nearly 40-year career.
Kinnear toured the campus with ACS Athens President Dr Peggy Pelonis, who said the visit resonated with both staff and students.
“Walking him through the school and watching him revisit the very hallways he once knew as a student added a special layer of nostalgia to his visit,” Pelonis said.
Born Gregory Buck Kinnear on June 17, 1963, in Logansport, Indiana, he grew up in a family posted around the world for his father’s US State Department career. The Kinnears lived in Beirut before moving to Athens, where Greg spent seven formative years and attended ACS Athens from 1974 to 1981. He briefly attended elementary school in Beirut prior to the family’s relocation.
The Kinnears lived in Beirut before moving to Athens, where Greg spent seven formative years and attended ACS Athens from 1974 to 1981.
At ACS Athens, Kinnear hosted a student radio show, “School Daze with Greg Kinnear,” and appeared in school theater productions – early steps toward a future in entertainment that he has frequently credited to his time in Greece. After graduating in 1981, he returned to the United States and earned a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Arizona in 1985.
During Friday’s visit, Kinnear met with students pursuing film, media and performing arts, urging them to stay curious, resilient and open to opportunity. The conversation, marked by humor and candor, left what school officials described as a lasting impression.
Kinnear’s homecoming comes as he juggles multiple high-profile projects, including his untitled feature film, now in production in Athens and Italy, co-starring Berenice Marlohe, William H. Macy, Nolan Gerard Funk and Meadow Williams. He’s also working on “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” (expected in 2026 on Apple TV+), a David E. Kelley adaptation starring Nicole Kidman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning and Kinnear as Kenny.
Kinnear rose to prominence in the 1990s as host of “Talk Soup” and “Later with Greg Kinnear.” He earned an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor for his role in “As Good as It Gets” (1997) and went on to appear in films including “Little Miss Sunshine,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “The Matador,” “Sabrina,” “Phil” and 2024’s “Sight.”
For ACS Athens, his return was more than a visit by a famous graduate. It was a reminder, school leaders said, that the creativity and international perspective fostered on campus can propel students to global stages – and that alumni often carry those lessons with them long after they leave.