What the Hell Happened to Mena Suvari?

Mena Suvari made the leap from modeling to acting.  In 1999, she appeared in two hit films; the raucous teen comedy, American Pie and the Best Picture winner, American Beauty.  Suvari seemed poised for greatness.  But her career quickly stalled out.  Only a few years later, she was appearing in direct-to-video dreck like a remake of Day of the Dead.

What the hell happened?

suvari - boy meets world 2
Boy Meets World – 1995

Suvari started modeling as a preteen.  This lead to commercials which lead to TV work.  As a teenager, she started doing TV appearances.   In 1995, she appeared on an episode of Boy Meets World during the show’s second season.  She played Laura, Eric’s girlfriend’s cousin from Manhattan.

Suvari - Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World – 1996

In 1996, Suvari appeared on the third season of Boy Meets World.  But she played a completely different character.  This time, she played Hilary, a girl Corey meets at a party.

Suvari - ER
E/R – 1996

Later that year, Suvari played a sick kid on the hit TV show, E/R.

From 1996-1997, Suvari played David Keith’s daughter on the TV show, High Incident.  Believe it or not, the show was not about drugs.  It was a cop show that lasted only one season.  Suvari appeared in four episodes.

Suvari - Nowhere
Nowhere – 1997

In 1997, Suvari made the leap to the big screen in the indie teen drama, NowhereNowhere was the third film in director Gregg Akari’s “Teen Apocalypse Trilogy”.  Suvari co-starred with up-and-coming teen actors like Heather Graham, Ryan Phillipe and Denise Richards in a story of debauched teenagers.

The movie has been describes as 90210 on acid.  The bizarre experiences include bad acid trips, bi-sexuality, suicide, rape by a TV star and alien abduction.  The cast included TV actors like Christina Applegate, John Ritter, Christopher Knight and Eve Plumb.  It also included appearances by the likes of Traci Lords, Rose McGowan and Shannen Doherty.

Later that year, she had a small role in the Ashley Judd/Morgan Freeman thriller, Kiss the Girls.

Suvari - Chicago Hope
Chicago Hope – 1997

Next, Suvari played a girl who tests positive for HIV on the medical drama, Chicago Hope.

suvari - snide & prejudice
Snide & Prejudice – 1997

Also in 1997, Suvari appeared in the movie Snide & Prejudice.  Never heard of it?  It’s about mental patients who believe they are important Nazi figures.  I’ll just run right out and find a copy…

suvari - slums of beverly hills
The Slums of Beverly Hills – 1998

In 1998, Suvari had another small role in the indie comedy, The Slums of Beverly Hills which starred her future American Pie castmate, Natasha Lyonne.  Slums didn’t make much of an impression with critics or audiences when it was released.  But it has developed a cult following over the years.

suvari slums of beverly hills
The Rage: Carrie 2 – 1999

1999 was easily the biggest year of Suvari’s film career.  It started off inauspiciously enough with the troubled horror sequel, The Rage: Carrie 2. 

Suvari was fortunate enough to die early in the film.  The Rage went through several production delays and a last-minute switch in directors.  So it’s really no surprise that the film received negative reviews and bombed at the box office.

Suvari - Atomic Train
Atomic Train – 1999

Next, she played Rob Lowe’s daughter in the TV movie, Atomic Train.  See, there’s a train.  And it’s filled with atomic weapons.  Rob Lowe needs to keep it from going “boom”.  It’s all right there in the title.

suvari -american pie
American Pie – 1999

Later in 1999, Suvari appeared as part of the ensemble cast in Paul Weitz’s ribald teen comedy, American Pie.

American Pie was about a group of high school boys who make a pact to lose their virginity the summer before they go off to college.  It’s somehow sweeter than the premise makes it sound.  Suvari played the girlfriend of Chris Klein’s character.

In order to sell his script, Adam Herz titled it Untitled Teenage Sex Comedy That Can Be Made For Under $10 Million That Most Readers Will Probably Hate But I Think You Will Love.  That’s some marketing genius right there.  He just lays it all out in the title.  He even included the budget!  Once the project was picked up at Universal, it was retitled East Great Falls High, then Great Falls, and finally, American Pie.

Alysson Hannigan was originally offered Suvari’s role.  But after reading the script, she found the band geek more interesting.  The movie had to go before the MPAA ratings board four times in order to secure an R-rating.

Reviews were mixed and the movie was a huge surprise hit at the box office.  Several members of the Pie cast seemed poised for stardom.  Jason Biggs, Tara Reid, Sean William Scott, Shannon Elizabeth and of course Suvari all seemed like viable candidates for movie stardom.  A few of them found success in the short-term.  But ultimately, none of them lived up to the high expectations.

At the time, Suvari’s star burned the brightest.

suvari - american beauty
American Beauty – 1999

Suvari capped off 1999 with a central role in the Academy Award winning American Beauty.  She played a high school Lolita who tempts Kevin Spacey in his fantasies.  The role turns out to be more complex than it appears as is the case with most things in American Beauty.

Although she spends the entire movie acting like a high school hussy, the truth is she’s a scared little girl.  The switch allowed Suvari to show a little more depth and vulnerability than is typical of most high school cheerleader roles.

Kirsten Dunst, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Brittany Murphy and Katie Holmes were all offered Suvari’s role, but turned it down.  Thora Birch played Spacey’s daughter.  Suvari played her best friend from the cheerleading squad.  Director Sam Mendes changed the appearance of the girls as the movie progressed.  As Birch’s character gains confidence, she wears less make-up.  The reverse is true for Suvari’s caharacter.

American Beauty was a great film and everyone involved got lots of buzz. Sure, most of it was about Kevin Spacey.  But even Wes Bentley got a career boost out of being associated with such a highly praised film.  For her part, Suvari was featured in the most iconic image of the movie.  Suvari lying naked in rose petals is unforgettable.

American_Beauty_poster
American Beauty – 1999

The poster was equally iconic.  It features and extremely close-up of a girl’s stomach and her hand holding a rose.  The tagline was “…look closer”.  If you look closer, you might realize that it is not Suvari’s belly button on the poster.  The hand and stomach belong to actress/model Chloe Hunter.

American Beauty was a hit at the box office.  It was praised by critics and won lots of awards including Best Picture.  In one year, Suvari showed she had the range to pull off a commercial gross-out comedy like Pie and a high brow comedy/drama like Beauty.  Surely any actress who could pull that off was destined to have a long career. As it turns out, not so much.

suvari - loser
Loser – 2000

So where did Suvari go wrong?  She followed up Pie and Beauty by reteaming with Jason Biggs for another youth comedy, Loser.

This probably seemed like a good idea on paper.  After all, it was directed by Amy Heckerling who had helped launch Alicia Silverstone onto the A-list with Clueless and helped define the high school movie with Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

But Loser  lived down to its title.  Reviews were bad and audiences who were growing sick of teenage romantic comedies gave it a pass.

Suvari - Live Virgin
American Virgin – 2000

2000 also saw the American release of the French sex comedy, American Virgin.

Suvari played Robert Loggia’s daughter.  Loggia is a producer of porn.  His rival, played by Bob Hoskins, decides to get revenge by broadcasting Suvari losing her virginity on live TV.

The original title of the movie was Live Virgin, but after the success of American Pie and American Beauty, it was changed to American Virgin.

suvari - sugar and spice
Sugar and Spice – 2001

In 2001, Suvari had three major releases.  The first was Sugar and Spice in which Suvari once again played a cheerleader.
The movie is about a cheerleading team that starts committing crimes to support one of their teammates who has gotten pregnant by the high school quaterback.

Sugar and Spice wanted to be a dark, satiric high school comedy in the same vein as Heathers.  But after the failure of the similarly themed black comedy, Jawbreaker, Sugar & Spice was rewritten to be less edgy.  As a result, the movie didn’t have any bite.  It got bad reviews and bombed at the box office.

suvari - american pie 2
American Pie 2 – 2001

Like the rest of the cast of American Pie, Suvari returned for the sequel.  But her role was cut back to an extended cameo.

Why?  Likely because Suvari’s dance card was already full.  Most of the rest of the young cast was falling over themselves to appear in the sequel.  But, you couldn’t help but get the impression that the only reason Suvari was in the film at all was to fulfill her contractual obligation.

A few years later, Suvari’s character was left out of the third film in the series, American Wedding.

suvari - the musketeer

The Musketeer – 2001

Also in 2001, Suvari appeared in the swashbuckling Three Musketeers update, The Musketeer.

Suvari played a peasant girl who wins the heart of the heroic D’Artagnan.  The idea was to mix old fashioned swordplay with Hong Kong wire work which was all the rage at the time.  Catherine Deneuve, Stephen Rea and Tim Roth co-starred.

The Musketeer was a strange mix of swordplay and Hong Kong wire work that didn’t catch on.  Reviews were terrible and the movie bombed.

suvari -spun
Spun – 2002

By 2002, Suvari was trying to reinvent herself.  She went indie in the drug-themed comedy, Spun.

Jason Schwartzman starred as a drug addict looking for a fix. John Leguizamo played his dealer and Suvari played the dealer’s girlfriend.  Brittany Murphy played another addict who takes Schwartzman to meet her boyfriend.  Mickey Rourke played the boyfriend referred to as “The Cook” because he runs a meth lab.  The rest of the cast included Patrick Fugit, Debbie Harry, Eric Roberts and Chloe Hunter who stood in for Suvari on the American Beauty poster.

Originally, the movie was intended to be a documentary about meth cooks.  Kind of a real life Breaking Bad.  But after three days of driving a meth dealer around Oregon, the movie’s writer and director decided he’s rather make a scripted movie instead.  I can understand not wanting to hang around with drug dealers.  But hanging around with Mickey Rourke probably wasn’t much better.

Spun got bad reviews and lost money.

Suvari - Sonny
Sonny – 2002

Later that year, Suvari starred opposite James Franco in Nicolas Cage’s directorial debut, Sonny.

Franco played a male prostitute who has recently returned home from war.  He tries to avoid returning to his old job, but he is pressured by his mother to keep turning tricks.  You know, like mothers do.  Suvari played the the girl he sleeps with for free.

Like Spun, Sonny got negative reviews and was ignored by the art house crowd.  Just three years after starring in American Beauty and American Pie, Mena Suvari’s Hollywood career had more or less dried up.

Suvari- Trauma
Trauma – 2004

In 2004, Suvari starred opposite Colin Firth in the British thriller, Trauma.
Firth played a man who wakes from a coma to discover his wife was killed in a car accident.  Suvari played an attractive neighbor with whom he becomes neighborly.

Trauma played the film festival circuit but it didn’t make much of an impression.

Suvari - Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under – 2004

Suvari also appeared in seven episodes of the HBO series, Six Feet Under.  Suvari played a free-spirited lesbian artist who becomes briefly involved with Lauren Ambrose’s character.

If you’re wondering how Suvari landed a role on a prestigious premium cable show at this point in her career, Six Feet Under was created by Allan Ball who wrote American Beauty.

Suvari - Beauty Shop
Beauty Shop – 2005

In 2005, Suvari started popping up all over the place in smaller roles that might have sparked a comeback.  First, she played a customer in the comedy, Beauty Shop.

Queen Latifah starred in the Barber Shop spin-off.  She played a stylist who quits her job working for Kevin Bacon and sets up her own salon.  Suvari played one of the shop’s many customers.

The cast included Alicia Silverstone (who was hoping for a comeback of her own), Andie MacDowell and Alfre Woodard.  Reviews were mostly negative and the movie was not a hit at the box office.

Suvari - Standing Still
Standing Still – 2005

Next Suvari appeared in the indie movie, Standing Still.

Adam Garcia and Amy Adams played a couple whose wedding unites all their friends.  Suvari played one of the wedding guests who is currently dealing with some issues in therapy.  Ethan Embry, Colin Hanks and James Van Der Beek costarred.

Standing Still received mostly negative reviews.

Suvari - Domino
Domino – 2005

Later that year, Suvari had a small role in Tony Scott’s action movie, Domino.

The movie was based on the life of Domino Harvey, a Ford fashion model who gave up her career to become a bounty hunter.  Keira Knightley and Mickey Rourke starred.

The real Domino Harvey speaks the first line of the movie.  She died of a drug overdose before the movie was released in theaters.  As a result, the release date was pushed back.  When the movie was finally released, it got negative reviews and bombed at the box office.

suvari - Edmond
Edmond – 2005

Also in 2005, Suvari played a whore in the thriller, Edmond.

William H. Macy played a middle aged man who decides to leave his wife after a fortune teller tells him he is not where he belongs.  He goes on a seedy journey looking for sex.  Joe Mantegna, Denise Richards and Julia Stiles co-starred.

The movie was based on a play by David Mamet and Mamet also adapted the screenplay.  Reviews were mixed.

suvari - runor has it
Rumor Has It… – 20005

Suvari capped off 2005 with a supporting role in Rob Reiner’s quasi-sequel to The Graduate, Rumor Has It…

Kevin Costner played the real-life inspiration for the Benjamin character in the novel and the movie.  Aniston played a woman who realizes that he may be her real father which set up an icky premise in which Costner’s character has had sex with Aniston, her mother, and her grand mother played by Shirley MacLaine.  Suvari played Aniston’s sister who is getting married.

Rumor Has It… got negative reviews and did so-so box office.  Suvari had a lot of potential comebacks in 2005, but none of them really paid off the way she probably hoped they would.

Suvari - Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy VII

Additionally, Suvari starred doing voice work in video games.  She played Aerith “Aeris” Gainsborough in Final Fantasy VII.  She would reprise the role the following year in Kingdom Hearts II.  The part was originally played by Mandy Moore in the first Kingdom Hearts game.

Suvari wouldn’t make another main stream Hollywood movie for seven years.  Instead, she languished in direct-to-video trash like the remake of Day of the Dead.

Suvari - Factory Girl
Factory Girl – 2006

By 2006, even the supporting roles in mainstream movies had dried up.  Suvari was now relegated to supporting roles in indie movies.  She appeared in the biographical drama, Factory Girl.

Sienna Miller played heiress Edie Sedgwick who moves to New York to study art.  She rises to prominence under the influence of pop artist Andy Warhol played here by Guy Pearce.  Hayden Christensen played a singer who was basically a stand-in for Bob Dylan.

The movie became mired in controversy.  Singer/songwriter, Lou Reed, of the Velvet Underground denounced the movie, “I read that script. It’s one of the most disgusting, foul things I’ve seen – by any illiterate retard – in a long time. There’s no limit to how low some people will go to write something to make money… They’re all a bunch of whores.”

Dylan also wasn’t a fan.  He threatened to sue the production.  So all mentions of his name were removed from the script.  Critics didn’t care for the movie either.

Suvari - Caffeine
Caffeine – 2006

Later that year, Suvari starred opposite Breckin Meyer and Katherine Heigl in the coffee-shop comedy, Caffeine.

Suvari played a waitress in a London coffee shop called the Black Cat Cafe.  Heigl played a patron who was on a blind date.  Soon the staff and eavesdropping customers are exposing each others embarrassing sexual secrets.  Apparently coffee shops in London are a lot more interesting than your average Starbucks.

On the upside, it was a starring role.  On the other hand, it was a movie no one knew existed.

Suvari - The Dog Problem
The Dog Problem – 2006

Finally, Suvari appeared opposite Giovanni Ribisi in the romantic comedy, The Dog Problem.  Ribisi played a writer struggling with debts and writer’s block.  His therapist, played by Don Cheadle, advises him to get a dog.  The dog only complicates his life, but he is reluctant to sell the dog to a rich girl played by Suvari.

Scott Caan wrote and directed the movie.  He also appeared as Ribisi’s best friend.  It showed at the  Toronto Film Festival.

Suvari - stuck
Stuck – 2007

In 2007, Suvari reteamed with her Edmond director Stuart Gordon for the thriller, Stuck.  Suvari played a nursing student who hits a vagrant played by Stephen Rea while driving under the influence.

Stuck made the film festival circuit and received mostly positive reviews.

Suvari - Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead – 2008

In 2008, Suvari starred in the movie that inspired the What the Hell Happened series, Day of the Dead.

Day of the Dead was a remake of a sequel that was never all that popular to begin with.  The original Day of the Dead was the follow-up to George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead which was remade by Zach Snyder in 2004.  But this Day is not connected with Snyder’s Dawn in spite of the fact Ving Rhames appears in both of them.

Expectations for a direct-to-video zombie remake of a threequel are pretty low.  And yet, Day of the Dead manages not to meet them.  Suvari is horribly miscast as a military hard ass and Nick Cannon co-stars as a poor man’s Will Smith.

Despite its overall awfulness, I owe Day of the Dead a debt.  After watching it on cable one day, I was inspired to write What the Hell Happened to Mena Suvari which launched the entire What the Hell Happened series.  So, thanks for that at least.

suvari - american horror story
American Horror Story – 2011

Since the collapse of her film career, Suvari has returned to modeling and TV.

Since then, she has appeared on The Cape, Psych and the first season of American Horror Story.  I half suspect she was cast as the Black Dahlia on AMS because she is obligated to appear in anything with the word “American” in the title.

suvari - american reunion
American Reunion – 2012

In 2012, Suvari returned to the big screen for the fourth theatrical film in the American Pie series, American Reunion.

The entire cast of the original film returned for the sequel.  Suvari was among the first to agree to return and was paid a fraction of what Jason Biggs, Eugene Levy and Alyson Hannigan received.

So, what the hell happened?

I actually give Suvari credit for trying to diversify after 1999.  If The Musketeer had been a hit, Suvari might have had a career in action movies.  She also tried to break into independent films when the Hollywood offers dried up.  But none of the projects she picked met with success.

The argument could definitely be made that Suvari’s banner year in 1999 was a fluke.  It almost certainly was.  But if you’d have told me that three years after American Beauty, Suvari would be more or less washed up, I’d have bet against you for sure.

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rich
12 years ago

I thought the same at the time and just read this weeks popbitch email. it said:
Saddest email this week: “Mena Suvari available
for interview to support the launch of ‘The
Captian’s (sic) Island with Captain Morgan’.
From American Beauty to promoting cheap rum.”

Aaron
Aaron
12 years ago

I always thought she wasn’t very good looking. Hard to be a movie star when you are a 5 at best tbh.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Aaron

8 Actresses Who Were Hottest The First Time We Saw Them: http://whatculture.com/film/8-actresses-who-were-hottest-the-first-time-we-saw-them.php/3 7. Mena Suvari – American Beauty In her first proper movie role, Mena Suvari (perhaps best known for her stint in the American Pie films as “Nice Girl” Heather) played the object of Kevin Spacey’s affections in American Beauty. As the best friend of Spacey’s teenage daughter, Suvari starred as the flirty Angela, who spends much of the movie bragging about her sexual conquests and exploits, and getting Kevin Spacey all in a fluster. And we’ve all seen the movie poster for this movie, haven’t we? You know,… Read more »

Poop
Poop
7 years ago
Reply to  Aaron

I didn’t quite appreciate her look back in the day either, but something changed a few years ago and I now think she’s quite stunning…

JackEm
JackEm
12 years ago

She has the ass of a goddess, but the face of a jester. I’d still tap that all weekend.

daffystardust
12 years ago

she definitely benefits from bangs. what? I meant hair. you perv.

Molly
Molly
11 years ago

Mena has definitely had a fall from grace. Do you plan to write up about Tara Reid, Shannon Elizabeth, and Natasha Lynnoe (sp?)?

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

10 Acting One-Hit Wonders: http://whatculture.com/film/10-acting-one-hit-wonders.php/4 7. Shannon Elizabeth Shannon Elizabeth made a name for herself as the foreign exchange student Nadia in the teen sex comedy American Pie, starring in the film’s most famous scene, as she performs a sexy strip for Jim (Jason Biggs), only for him to, ahem, blow it and ruin the whole thing. Nudity is always an easy way to ingratiate yourself to the teen audience, and she certainly succeeded, though oddly for an industry as superficial as Hollywood, her career never really seemed to take off. After starring in the first American Pie sequel, as… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

What the hell happened to Shannon Elizabeth? http://www.fark.com/comments/3823330/What-hell-happened-to-Shannon-Elizabeth?cpp=1 2008-08-23 02:47:56 PM She went big by being willing to strip on screen. Once she refused to do that (after American Pie), she stopped getting calls because that’s all people wanted out of her. It’s not like she was ever going to float on her acting skills. Once she lowered the bar for herself, it stayed there. 2008-08-23 03:17:11 PM Same thing that happened to Kari Wuher. Same thing that happens to all nascent, hot, 20-somethings that can’t really act. They turn 30. 2008-08-23 07:08:10 PM But regarding Shannon Elizabeth, she did… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Why Hollywood won’t cast Seann William Scott anymore
Read More: http://www.looper.com/category/television/?utm_campaign=clip
http://www.looper.com/12519/hollywood-wont-cast-seann-william-scott-anymore/
Seriously, where did Seann William Scott go? He was everywhere for a few years following the success of American Pie (1999) and its sequels, but right around 2010, it seemed like he pretty much disappeared. Here’s what probably led to the hunk falling off the Hollywood radar.

Zhal
9 years ago
Reply to  Molly

Jeebus, she looks like a 12-year-old. Maybe a somewhat acvdnaed 12-year-old, but still …I’ll never watch American Beauty the same way again. (Wasn’t she topless in that? I thought she was, um, a bit better endowed …)

Steve
Steve
11 years ago

Her roles in Pie and Beauty in 99 were small marginal parts. The fact that she has been able to get consistent work in movies and on tv since then and not fall back into anonimity makes her anything but cursed but rather lucky that was she able to propel a very long career out of lightning in a bottle of 99. Looking back it’s actually kind of funny how in 2000 and 2001 almost all the supporting players in the movie were able to propel themselves into somewhat prominent roles.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  Steve

10 More Really Annoying Movie Characters: http://whatculture.com/film/10-more-really-annoying-movie-characters.php/3 8. Angela Hayes (American Beauty) Detestable cheerleader Angela Hayes (Mena Suvari) was pretty much the only negative aspect of the phenomenally brilliant American Beauty (even if she did turn out okay in the end). She essentially plays the popular cheerleading stereotype – always talking about (and supposedly having) sex, pretentious, so far up herself she can lick her own stomach and always looking down upon the less popular crowd. She even drops a C-bomb. Nevertheless, she soon becomes a point of attraction for the film’s main character Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) who also… Read more »

zach davis
zach davis
11 years ago

whatever happened to her costar in american beauty thora birch

Shemp
10 years ago
Reply to  zach davis

Heck, KEVIN SPACEY would make a good entry here! He went from stellar acting in great films to OK-to-good acting in mediocre/forgettable/bad movies. But he seems to be happy doing stage acting.
Hey, lest we forget: Shannon Elizabeth had an “arc” on That 70s Show, and now she’s active on the poker tournament circuit. (I guess her career is pretty much over, I guess.)

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  Shemp
ER Surgery Resident
ER Surgery Resident
8 years ago
Reply to  Shemp

I can’t believe this comment was written after House of Cards. I double-checked, and this comment was 7 months after the 1st season of House of Cards, which was nominated for 9 Emmys and 4 Golden Globes. Really?

Terrence Michael Clay
11 years ago

Whatever Happened To …. The Cast of American Pie? – See more at:
http://www.pajiba.com/seriously_random_lists/whatever-happened-to-the-cast-of-american-pie.php
Mena Suvari (as Heather): She seemed like a sure thing after starring alongside Kevin Spacey in American Beauty, but then Suvari decided she’d had enough of being a pretty chick. She shaved her head; uglied herself up for subsequent roles in Spun, Factory Girl, and The Mysteries of Pittsburgh; and basically became an eccentric to no effect.
Her Next Move: Some Hollywood exec will eventually have the bright idea of attempting to engineer a comeback by revisiting her Beauty character.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

How American Pie ruined the actors’ careers
http://www.looper.com/12967/american-pie-ruined-actors-careers/
American Pie is one of the most popular teen movies of all time, but after being thrust into the spotlight, many of the movie’s stars went on to lead deeply depressing lives. Some battled drug abuse, others attended rehab, and virtually all of them starred in films that flopped. Each of these six stars certainly had a hefty helping of bad-career pie.

RB
RB
11 years ago

It’s taken a while but I’m almost through reading all the WTHH series. Very enjoyable. Always written with respect of the subject, maybe some good natured ribbing, but never mean spirited.
“American Beauty” was one of those irritant movies that I would never watch again but contained great performances. I do feel Suvari got the short end of the stick for whatever reason. The movie helped solidify Kevin Spacey’s career, and wasn’t Annette Bening already working steadily, before and since? It’s a shame Mena didn’t find the right project. She still might, she’s not exactly old.

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I just caught myself grammatically, I meant to say that “American Beauty” is arguably one of those movies that WERE initially popular…

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

10 Best Picture Oscar Winners That Aged Terribly http://whatculture.com/film/10-best-picture-oscar-winners-that-aged-terribly?page=2 American Beauty (1999) American Beauty is in no way a bad film. It was the first film directed by Sam Mendes after a career in the theater, and it’s clear that the director put a huge amount of work into it. Similarly, writer Alan Ball put a lot of his personal experiences and views into the script over the better part of a decade, and that care is apparent on the screen. But was American Beauty, the Lolita-esque film about a rich middle-aged man creepily grooming his teenage daughter’s best friend… Read more »

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
10 years ago

In the wake of the big success of American Pie back in ’99, pretty much all of the actors got a boost of some kind to their careers, obviously to varying levels of success. Certainly everyone involved was able to get follow-up work from the films’ success for a few years, at least. I’d say those that got the biggest boost were Eugene Levy (he was already well-established, but his career really got a jump-start after AP), Jennifer Coolidge, Alyson Hannigan, and for a couple years at least Shannon Elizabeth. While all of the American Pie actors got at least… Read more »

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

I agree, Mena Suvari makes for a great write-up, but ultimately it’s based more on the potential that her career seemed to have more than the career that she had. For one hot minute, I thought Mena Suvari was going to be a big star. Sean William Scott is really the only other American Pie actor that would be worthy of one, I think after you complete that write-up you can safely skip the Jason Biggs, Chris Klein, Tara Reid and Shannon Elizabeth write-ups and close the American Pie book of write-ups.

Prince of a Thousand Frenemies
Prince of a Thousand Frenemies
10 years ago
Reply to  Craig Hansen

I actually would like to see you cover Tara Reid. The story of her fall is pretty straightforward (I’m guessing the botched plastic surgery is fairly well agreed-upon), but she actually did have a weird kind of talent. “Ditzy blonde” may not be a remarkable archetype, but she played that sort of character well, and with unexpected sweetness and vulnerability. I actually can’t imagine another actress pulling off the role she did in Josie and the Pussycats without seeming fake or sickening; the fact that her character acted dumb out of what seemed like a genuinely childlike worldview (without falling… Read more »

Craig Hansen
Craig Hansen
10 years ago
Reply to  lebeau

How classy. I can’t believe that pic is for real. If it is, she must’ve been stoned out of her mind not to notice that kind of wardrobe malfunction happening to herself. I have a fondness for the American Pie movies, I’d look forward to any future write-ups if they happen. Sean William Scott arguably had the most successful movie career from that cast so I’d say he definitely earns a write-up, and as a wildcard I’d throw in Eugene Levy too, he’s had a long and interesting career, though I don’t know of any scandalous behavior on his part… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Derailed Film Stars: Retracing Tara Reid: http://www.twcc.com/articles/2014/09/14/d/derailed-film-stars-retracing-tara-reid It’s hard to remember a time when Tara Reid was just a fresh-faced blonde actress in the late nineties with a sweet smile and a great sense of humor. From her small but memorable role in the cult hit The Big Lebowski to the series of fun, teen-trending comedies including American Pie, Josie and the Pussycats and Van Wilder, Reid still had a sense of self awareness, comedic timing and her original face. While her globetrotting E! nightlife series, Taradise, will always have a special place in our heart, Reid fell victim to… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)
Reply to  lebeau

Derailed Film Stars: The Slide of Seann William Scott: http://www.twcc.com/articles/2014/12/28/d/derailed-film-stars-the-slide-of-seann-william-scott On one hand, playing the foul-mouthed, oversexed, All-American jock, Steve Stifler, in American Pie made Seann William Scott a household name. On the other, it also pigeonholed the rest of his career, even to this day. While Scott would be the first to tell you his filmography is far from highbrow, he still walked the red carpet of the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year for the premiere of Just Before I Go. He may not be Oscar material, but we’ll always have a soft spot for . Evolution Just… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

10 Best & 10 Worst Zombie Movies: http://whatculture.com/film/10-best-10-worst-zombie-movies.php Day of the Dead (2008) – Directed by Steve Miner Without bearing any resemblance to its namesake, 2008’s Day of the Dead is a stinking brown cloud of a movie that deserves to be forgotten (but don’t worry, it will be). At least James Gunn’s 2004 adaptation of Dawn of the Dead attempted to re-explore the original’s core premise, despite straying wildly off course. Day of the Dead follows a questionably cast Mena Suvari as a soldier, intent on gathering survivors and escaping from a Z-infested city. It’s a veritable smorgasbord of… Read more »

Terrence Michael Clay
10 years ago

10 Promising Film Careers that Stalled: http://www.londoncitygirl.co.uk/article/10-promising-film-careers-stalled 7. Mena Suvari The beautiful Mena Suvari enchanted the world with her turn as a beautiful, spoilt and vulnerable cheerleader in American Beauty. But a couple of appearances in the American Pie films and the dark comedy Sugar & Spice spelt the beginning of the end. The Pie film’s although successful were not for the critics and Sugar & Spice just tanked royally although the movie was arguably not as bad as audiences and critics thought. Suvari continued to act in low budget films and there is a sense that she has tried… Read more »

Shemp
9 years ago

re: There were rumors that Mena Suvari was an S&M sub
Ooh, tell us more…
Hollywood be thy name: Fame/Success be a fickle Bitch-Mistress. I wonder if her blonde-goddess look has anything to do with her H’wood profile, in that EVERY YEAR brings a new crop of “hot blonde goddesses” from/to the Hollywood scene and H’wood seems to tire of them awfully fast. (Heck, I’m old enough to recall when Natasha Henstridge was gonna be a big-ish star and look what happened w/ her…and she’s a decent actress too.)

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Blink And You Miss ‘Em: Celebs Who Were Famous For, Like, Five Minutes: http://www.vh1.com/celebrity/2014-05-13/celebs-whose-fame-didnt-last/ Mena Suvari should’ve been massive. The gorge former child model had a huge year in 1999, appearing in two of the decades biggest films: American Pie, and the Best Picture Oscar winner, American Beauty. One was a raunchy, zeitgeisty teen comedy, and the other was a smart drama — and the fact that she shone in both should’ve proved she had the range to be a star. Sadly, her ship quickly sailed, and she ended up taking roles in straight-to-DVD abominations like Day of the Dead.… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

9 Actresses Who Were Supposed To Make It Big But Didn’t:
http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/9-actresses-who-were-supposed-to-make-it-big-but-didnt/5/

  1. Mena Suvari

When she landed the coveted role of Amanda Hayes in the Academy Award-winning film “American Beauty,” Mena Suvari received international recognition. She received a BAFTA nomination for her performance and it looked like she was on her way to becoming one of today’s most promising young actresses; however, since “American Beauty,” Suvari hasn’t landed another critically acclaimed role. Her most memorable role to date has been as Heather in the “American Pie” movies.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Mena Suvari to star in “Hysteria” on Amazon:
http://www.deadline.com/2014/03/mena-suvari-to-topline-amazon-drama-pilot-hysteria
She’ll play a Texas doctor who investigates an epidemic in her hometown.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Mena Suvari To Topline WE TV Thriller Drama Series ‘South Of Hell’ From Jason Blum & Eli Roth: http://deadline.com/2014/10/mena-suvari-cast-south-of-hell-we-tv-851111/ By Nellie Andreeva 4 hours ago EXCLUSIVE: I’ve learned that Mena Suvari is finalizing a deal to play the lead in WE tv’s second original scripted series, thriller drama South Of Hell from Sonar Entertainment and Blumhouse Television. The show, which has an eight-episode straight-to-series order for a 2015 premiere, comes from top horror producers Jason Blum and Eli Roth, in their first pairing. A supernatural thriller set in South Carolina, South Of Hell focuses on Maria Abascal (Suvari), a stunning…… Read more »

Leo
Leo
8 years ago

Blockbuster Buster: The Musketeer
http://blip.tv/the-blockbuster-buster/the-musketeer-review-by-the-blockbuster-buster-6647148
Yes Virginia, there is a worse Three Musketeers movie than the one Paul W.S. Anderson made.

ER Surgery Resident
ER Surgery Resident
8 years ago

While George Clooney was in both shows, E/R and ER are not the same.

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Mena Suvari appeared in the music video for this song: http://uproxx.com/music/2015/08/wheatus-teenage-dirtbag-anniversary-pop-punk/ Fifteen years ago Monday, the world had a song bestowed upon it that would change the course of music by lowering the level of discourse in the world of pop punk to its nadir. If you are of a certain age, you will remember the heyday of pop punk, a brief period of time when it took over music around the turn of the millennium. After the surprise success of Blink-182’s 1999 Enema of the State, pop punk, the logical endpoint stemming from The Ramones adding some melody to… Read more »

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Mena Suvari Exposes Her Demonic Side in WE tv’s South of Hell (VIDEO)
http://www.tvinsider.com/article/51363/mena-suvari-we-tv-south-of-hell-video/

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

Mena Suvari’s holding out hope for another “American Pie” film http://huff.to/1lteQOv

Terrence Clay (@TMC1982)

10 Forgotten Actresses From The Early 2000s http://www.fame10.com/entertainment/10-forgotten-actresses-from-the-early-2000s/5/ Mena Suvari At the turn of the millennium Mena was in everything from American Beauty to the hilarious teen-comedy American Pie, and the HBO hit Six Feet Under. But by the turn of the decade, it would seem that she fell off the A-list and onto the B-list, starring in TV movies like Orpheus and Sex and Lies in Sin City, and the direct to video horror flick Day of the Dead. In 2015, she starred in the one and only season of South of Hell. She doesn’t appear to have any… Read more »

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