Emmy, the magazine of the Academy of the Television Arts and Sciences, recently profiled entertainer and Hellene Nicholas Royce about his life of activism, much of which has greatly benefited Christian Orthodoxy in America. The issue also featured Hellene Tina Fey, an Emmy winner for the television program 30 Rock.

According to Emmy magazine, “as a dancer-choreographer, Royce developed a modern jazz style in the late 1940s and ‘50s…performed in night clubs and on the Ed Sullivan, Milton Berle and Kate Smith TV variety shows.” Although now retired from entertaining, Royce is still active in the industry, judging submissions for the Daytime Emmy Awards among other such industry activities, in addition to his extensive work for various causes, most prominent of which is his Orthodox faith.

“Royce was born in Pennsylvania as Nicholas Vlangas. The son of immigrant parents from Sparta, Greece, he moved to Baltimore, Maryland as a youth. He adopted the stage name Royce, as was the custom at that time. His entertaining began in the military towards the end of WWII where he was billed as `the Greek Fred Astaire in GI clothing.’ Royce has had friendships with other Hellenes in the entertainment industry beginning with the best-selling female vocal group in the history of popular music, the Andrews Sisters, following WWII, and including today actress Betty White. After his military service, he studied dance in New York and began a career which led to national prominence.”

“Royce’s charitable work for Orthodoxy, homelessness, AIDS, and domestic and child abuse has been recognized by U.S Presidents and others. Recently his activities were honored in the U.S. Congressional Record by the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Howard Berman of California.”

“Nicholas Royce has been advocating proper treatment of Orthodox Christians in the United States and for the Ecumenical Patriarchate long before it became a major, recent focus of attention in the White House and Congress. Following his time in the Army, Royce undertook numerous efforts, including the introduction of federal legislation to have Greek Orthodoxy listed as an official religion by the U.S. military. By 1955 the efforts succeeded, and the term `Eastern Orthodoxy’ became commonly used.”

“Following a trip to Turkey in 1965 during which he met Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras, he began a lifelong effort to assist the Mother Church… The strokes Royce suffered have not lessened the energy or attention he gives the various causes to which he has devoted his life.”