Mena Suvari Biography

MENA SUVARI

Date of Birth: February 13, 1979

Born the youngest of four in Newport, Rhode Island, Mena Suvari began modeling at the age of 12 and soon after began doing guest spots on various TV shows such as Boy Meets World and Minor Adjustments. She then landed a recurring role on ABC's High Incident during the 1996-97 season and simultaneously made appearances on ER and Chicago Hope.

Her movie career began with a small role in Gregg Araki's Nowhere (1997) with Ryan Phillippe. Â She followed up with a supporting part in Snide and Prejudice (debuted at Cannes 1997), playing Geli, a young girl abused by her uncle Adolf in this odd take on the life of Hitler. Later that year Suvari was featured alongside Morgan Freeman and Ashley Judd in the mystery thriller Kiss the Girls. In 1998, she appeared in The Slums of Beverly Hills alongside Natasha Lyonne, who would go on to costar with the actress in Live Virgin and American Pie.

Suvari became a familiar face to audiences in 1999, with roles in several features. As the suicidal best friend of a girl with telekinetic powers, Suvari made an early exit from The Rage: Carrie 2. Next, she played the rebellious teenaged daughter of Rob Lowe's heroic NTSB investigator in the NBC disaster miniseries Atomic Train. In the summer hit American Pie, Suvari costarred as Heather, a poised choir girl who wins the heart of amiable jock Oz (Chris Klein). Touted as a latter-day "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," the film fell somewhat short of that claim, though Suvari's performance revealed a unique screen presence reminiscent of a young Jennifer Jason Leigh. Her promise would continue to be met with a featured role in Sam Mendes' American Beauty (also 1999) as the teenaged lust object of Kevin Spacey's regressing middle-aged Lester Burnham. She next joined the ensemble of the black comedy Sugar and Spice (2000), playing one of a group of close-knit cheerleaders whose fierce loyalty in the face of adversity leads to some questionable and criminal behavior. Subsequent movies include The Musketeer (2001), Beauty Shop (2004) and Factory Girl (2007). She can most recently be seen in the American Pie sequel, American Reunion (2012).

It seemed as if the American Beauty role rubbed off a little when in 2000 she married German-born cinematographer Robert Brinkmann, 17 years her senior, but in 2006 they divorced.

Filmography:

The Knot (2013)
American Reunion (2012)
Restitution (2011)
You May Not Kiss the Bride (2011)
Stuck (2008)
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2007)
Day of the Dead (2007)
Factory Girl (2007)
The Dog Problem (2006)
Caffeine (2006)
Brooklyn Rules (2006)
Rumor Has It (2005)
Domino (2005)
Beauty Shop (2005)
Standing Still (2005)
Trauma (2004)
Spun (2002)
Sonny (2002)
Snide and Prejudice (2001)
The Musketeer (2001)
American Pie 2 (2001)
Sugar & Spice (2001)
Loser (2000)
American Virgin (2000) American Beauty (1999)
American Pie (1999)
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999)
Live Virgin (1999)
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998)
Snide and Prejudice (1998)
Kiss the Girls (1997)
Nowhere (1997)