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American beauty Mena Suvari was born
February 9, 1979, in Newport, Rhode Island. The youngest child of parents
Ando, a retired psychiatrist, and Candice, a nurse, the natural redhead
has three older brothers, who all enlisted in the US army.
Mena, named for an Egyptian godmother (her last name Suvari is after an
Estonian river), began as a model with Wilhelmina. After lying about her
age (she was 12 but claimed she was 13), Mena signed with the agency and
worked as a model for the following 5 years.
While modeling, she balanced her education by attending high school and
finally receiving her high school degree. She moved to Los Angeles with
her parents after she got a job in an ad for Rice-a-Roni.
Before hitting it big in Hollywood, Mena appeared in several hit
television shows. She had two separate roles in Boy Meets World in 1995
and 1996, and appeared in the hospital dramas ER and Chicago Hope. Mena
played a teen infected with HIV on Chicago Hope, a portrayal which highly
impressed critics.
Next up for Suvari: the movies. Although the title of her first film --
Nowhere (also starring Denise Richards), is exactly where the role got
her...nowhere. Mena's next role won her much critical praise. Playing the
object of a serial killer's affection in the 1997 thriller Kiss the Girls,
which starred Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman, Mena was on her way to
becoming one of today's most promising young actresses.
For those who didn't catch her appearance in Kiss the Girls, Mena's
memorable performance as the best friend of the title character, in The
Rage: Carrie 2, made audience members notice.
While the NBC made-for-TV movie Atomic Train -- in which Mena played Rob
Lowe's daughter -- was a bomb. She portrayed virginal choir girl Heather
in last summer's sleeper hit, American Pie. The movie that made teenage
audiences flock to the movies and howl with laughter, also brought
actresses such as Mena Suvari and Shannon Elizabeth into the spotlight.
From innocent high school girl Heather, to wild child temptress Angela in
American Beauty, Mena proves how broad her acting abilities really are. In
the Oscar winning and critically acclaimed film, American Beauty, Mena is
the object of her best friend's father's (played by Kevin Spacey)
obsession and rose-petaled sex fantasies.
She might not have been nominated for an Oscar, but she did receive a Best
Supporting Actress nomination by the British version of the Oscars, The
British Academy of Film and Television Arts.
Returning to her days as a model, Mena has recently appeared on a slew of
magazine covers, including Cosmopolitan and Vanity Fair.
Mena can next be seen in the dark comedy Sugar and Spice, again portraying
a high school cheerleader (this time also robbing banks), and in this
summer's comedy Loser, co-starring pastry loving American Pie co-star
Jason Biggs.
Also the object of an older man's affection in real life, Mena married
38-year-old cinematographer Robert Brinkmann this past March.
Interestingly enough, the age difference between her parents is 24 years.
Whether portraying an innocent choir girl with values or a seductive,
cheerleading Lolita, Mena is only at the beginning of what is blossoming
into a beautiful career. |
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"It's nice when people want
your autograph, but it's a little strange because I never expected
it. I still kind of think, 'Oh, who am I?'"
"I'm 26 years old. I don't need to be playing 16 anymore. Mentally
and emotionally, I'm in such a different place than those roles."
"One of the things you learn being in the public eye is that you
have the ability to raise awareness about serious issues, and, in
the process, really help people. I've chosen to get the word out to
women, especially young women, that tobacco is not glamorous - it's
addictive and smoking takes a serious toll on your health." |
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The Garden of Eden (2008) ....
Catherine Bourne
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2007) .... Phlox Lombardi
Day of the Dead (2007) .... Sarah
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (2007) (VG) (completed) (voice) ....
Aerith Gainsborough
Stuck (2007) .... Brandi
Brooklyn Rules (2007) .... Ellen
Factory Girl (2006) .... Richie Berlin
The Dog Problem (2006) .... Jules
Caffeine (2006/I) .... Vanessa
Orpheus (2006) (TV) .... Sue Ellen
Kingdom Hearts II (2005) (VG) (voice: English version) .... Aerith
Gainsborough
... aka Kingudamu hâtsu II (Japan)
Rumor Has It... (2005) .... Annie Huttinger
... aka Rumour Has It... (Australia) (Canada: English title) (New
Zealand: English title)
Domino (2005) .... Kimmie
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (2005) (voice: English version)
.... Aerith Gainsborough
Edmond (2005) .... Whore
Standing Still (2005/II) .... Lana
Beauty Shop (2005) .... Joanne
"Six Feet Under" .... Edie (7 episodes, 2004)
- The Black Forest (2004) TV Episode .... Edie
- Coming and Going (2004) TV Episode .... Edie
- The Dare (2004) TV Episode .... Edie
- Terror Starts at Home (2004) TV Episode .... Edie
- Can I Come Up Now? (2004) TV Episode .... Edie
(2 more)
Trauma (2004/I) .... Charlotte
Spun (2002) .... Cookie
Sonny (2002) .... Carol
The Musketeer (2001) .... Francesca Bonacieux
American Pie 2 (2001) .... Heather
Sugar & Spice (2001) .... Kansas Hill
"Saturday Night Live" .... Host (1 episode, 2001)
... aka NBC's Saturday Night (USA: first season title)
... aka SNL (USA: informal title)
... aka SNL 25 (USA: alternative title)
... aka Saturday Night (USA: second season title)
... aka Saturday Night Live '80 (USA: sixth season title)
- Mena Suvari/Lenny Kravitz (2001) TV Episode .... Host
Loser (2000) .... Dora Diamond
... aka The Loser (USA)
American Virgin (2000) .... Katrina Bartalotti
... aka Live Virgin (France) (UK) (USA: working title)
American Beauty (1999) .... Angela Hayes
American Pie (1999) .... Heather
Atomic Train (1999) (TV) .... Grace Seger
The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) .... Lisa Parker
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) .... Rachel Hoffman
"413 Hope St." .... Crystal (1 episode, 1997)
- Thanksgiving (1997) TV Episode .... Crystal
"Chicago Hope" .... Ivy Moore (1 episode, 1997)
- Sympathy for the Devil (1997) TV Episode .... Ivy Moore
Kiss the Girls (1997) (as Mena A. Suvari) .... Coty Pierce
Snide and Prejudice (1997) .... Geli Raubal
Nowhere (1997) .... Zoe, Zero's Girlfriend
"High Incident" .... Jill Marsh (2 episodes, 1996-1997)
- Camino High (1997) TV Episode .... Jill Marsh
- Nobody Walks in El Camino (1996) TV Episode .... Jill Marsh
"ER" .... Laura-Lee Armitage (1 episode, 1996)
- Last Call (1996) TV Episode .... Laura-Lee Armitage
"Minor Adjustments" .... Emily (1 episode, 1996)
- A Fish Story (1996) TV Episode .... Emily
"Boy Meets World" .... Hilary / ... (2 episodes, 1995-1996)
- The Grass Is Always Greener (1996) TV Episode .... Hilary
- Danger Boy (1995) TV Episode .... Laura |
