One of the most quotable teen movies from the 1990s, American Pie had us all reciting "this one time at band camp" with glee. Jim, Finch, Kevin, and Oz made a lasting impact on our adolescent brains as four dudes who desperately wanted to get laid and prove their manhood to each other. No one expected a comedy with a first time writer and director or a bunch of mostly unknown early-20s actors to succeed, but it did, and with flying colors.
American Pie grossed over $235 million at the box office, spawning three sequels and multiple direct-to-video spinoffs. The film inspired an entire generation of teen sex comedies that tried to measure up to the magic of its unique blend of vulgarity and heart.
Now nearly twenty years later, with the image of Jim humping an apple pie still just as fresh in our brains, we're curious as to what the cast of American Pie is up to. Some had immediate success after the film only to gradually fade away into obscurity, others still have blossoming careers and are quite successful. Either way, the roles they played in American Pie were a defining moment in all of their careers.
16. Alyson Hannigan
Alyson Hannigan was already relatively well-known for her role as Willow Rosenberg on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. While she played a lesbian (opposite Michelle Trachtenberg) on Buffy, her sexuality was a bit wackier in American Pie. Who could forget her jaw-dropping, "This one time, at band camp," revelation at Stifler's party, which made Jason Biggs spit out his drink (and lose his virginity).
While she did reprise her role as Michelle Flaherty in American Pie 2, American Wedding, and American Reunion, most people came to know her as Lily Aldrin on How I Met Your Mother. Hannigan starred on the popular sitcom for nine seasons opposite Jason Segal before the series ended in 2014.
While she hasn't done much acting since then, for the past year, she has been hosting Penn and Teller: Fool Us, returning for their new season in a few weeks. For the most part, Hannigan seems to be focusing on raising her two daughters with husband Alexis Denisof, whom she met on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The two have remained close friends with Joss Whedon—acting as godparents to his son, Arden—and giving them the ultimate nerdy bragging rights.
15. Seann William Scott
Seann William Scott will forever be known as Stifler, the rowdy, foul-mouthed jock in American Pie who perpetually acted like a twelve-year-old boy. He too appeared in all the official American Pie sequels, but he played Stifler so well that he was often typecast in similar roles in the years that followed. In fact, he had a start similar to Ryan Reynolds—playing outrageous, a**hole characters and livening them up with physical comedy. Unfortunately for Scott, his career didn't quite take the same turn for the better that Reynolds' did.
After American Pie, he appeared in a number of college comedies like Road Trip and Dude, Where's My Car? along with the forgettable 2005 remake of The Dukes of Hazzard—alongside Johnny Knoxville—but not a whole lot else with substance. There was The Rundown, where he starred opposite The Rock and Christopher Walken, in addition to a few other dramatic films, but honestly, no one really wanted to see him in those types of roles. This year, he released the sequel to his 2011 hockey comedy film, Goon, which is big in Canada for obvious reasons. Aside from that, the majority of his paydays from the past ten years have been from a voice role in the Ice Age franchise and the American Pie sequels.
14. Chris Klein
Like so many of his fellow American Pie actors, Chris Klein was typecast immediately following the film's success. Frequently appearing in sex comedies and low budget indie features, occasionally he would pop up in a memorable role (that just about broke our collective hearts) like 2nd Lt. Jack Geoghegan in We Were Soldiers.
From 2002-2005, he only made one film, The United States of Leland, in which he had a supporting role playing Michelle Williams' boyfriend. Blame it on the failure of his box office dud, Rollerball, or the end of his engagement to Katie Holmes, but Klein's acting career took a stumble during that time. It's also when his drinking problem spiraled out of control and he racked up his first DUI offense. Needless to say, it wasn't an easy road back from such a dark place.
Luckily, American Reunion, the fourth official American Pie sequel, rescued him from the depths of obscurity. He had a memorable turn as Elijah Wood's uber competitive neighbor, Drew, in the oddball TV comedy, Wilfred, along with some TV movies and guest starring roles. Despite getting married and having a kid in the past two years, he's still working and will star in the romantic comedy, The Competition, opposite Thora Birch this year.
13. Shannon Elizabeth
No teen boy growing up in the nineties could forget American Pie's headlining hottie Nadia, played by model turned actress, Shannon Elizabeth. She too was cast in a number of teen sex comedies immediately following the success of the film, along with a few horror films like Thir13een Ghosts and Cursed. In addition to reprising her role as Nadia in both American Pie 2 and American Reunion, she also showed up in That '70s Show as Brooke, whom Kelso (Ashton Kucher) impregnates after graduation.
Elizabeth was married to fellow actor Jason Reitman for a while, but they divorced in 2006. That's also around the time when her career pretty much tanked as well, leaving her with very few roles through 2011. Interestingly enough, she found a second career playing in celebrity poker tournaments—even competing in the World Series of Poker. Although still considered a sex symbol by many, Elizabeth has gone behind the scenes nowadays, directing and producing music videos and feature films under her company, Ganesha Productions. She also splits her time between South Africa and LA, running an animal rights non-profit called Animal Avengers.
12. Eugene Levy
Eugene Levy has had a very successful career both before and after American Pie. A highly regarded comedic actor, Levy is a frequent writing partner to Christopher Guest, creator of This Is Spinal Tap and other mockumentary films like Best in Show and A Mighty Wind. Levy has appeared in all of the American Pie sequels and spinoffs, including the direct to video films (the only actor to do so). He also played Seann William Scott's (Stifler) father in the 2011 hockey comedy, Goon, which was pretty hilarious.
Along with live action comedy, Levy has also dabbled with voice acting for animation. His most recent role? Dory's father in Finding Dory, which grossed over a billion dollars worldwide. Not a bad thing to have on your resume. Equally impressive are the numerous honors he's received just for being one of the funniest Canadians alive. In 2008, he was graced with a lifetime achievement award of sorts called the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards. Currently, he has a TV show with his son called Schitt's Creek that's in its fourth season. Judging by how it swept the Canadian Screen Awards last year, it's safe to say that Eugene Levy's still at the top of his game.
11. Jennifer Coolidge
We can all collectively thank American Pie for popularizing the term MILF, and Jennifer Coolidge for playing the best MILF since Mrs. Robinson in The Graduate. Stifler's mom had it going on, and Finch fell under her lusty spell. While she's often typecast for her buxom appearance, Coolidge is a seasoned comedic actress and former Groundlings member. She too is a part of the Christopher Guest pool of actors, appearing alongside Eugene Levy in Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, For Your Consideration, and Mascots. You might also remember her as Paulette in the Legally Blonde movies, Elle's manicurist whom she teaches the Bend and Snap move to.
Since then, Coolidge has done a bunch of voiceover for animation—much like Eugene Levy—lending her unique brand of humor to Robots, Igor, Gravity Falls (as Lazy Susan), and The Emoji Movie. She also played Betty in The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Sophie in Two Broke Girls. When she's not acting, Coolidge lends her talents to animal activism—promoting various causes on her social media pages.
10. Thomas Ian Nicholas
Part of the pact to get laid along with Jim, Finch, and Oz, Kevin (Thomas Ian Nicholas) was probably the most likable guy of the bunch. Since the original film, Nicholas has dabbled in various creative projects while still remaining relatively under the radar. Prior to American Pie 2, he appeared in a season six story arc on Party of Five as Claudia's musician boyfriend, Todd. He also got to portray both Frank Sinatra Jr. and Walt Disney in Stealing Sinatra and Walt Before Mickey, respectively.
Around the time American Wedding came out, Nicholas started directing films, in addition to starring in them, starting with a wacky comedy called L.A. DJ about two guys from a trailer park who try to make it big as superstar DJs. His second feature film, Honor—a crime drama—is currently in the pre-production phase. Aside from the five films in various stages of production he's currently involved in (including James Franco's new film, Zeroville), Nicholas spends his time touring with his band. Influenced by the '90s bands that were popular when American Pie came out, Nicholas capitalizes on his fame by playing both original tunes and covers of songs from the American Pie soundtracks. Smart dude.
9. Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari had a promising career after appearing in American Pie. That same year, she had a supporting role in the Oscar-winning Sam Mendes film, American Beauty, also earning her a BAFTA nomination. Shortly thereafter, she reunited with Jason Biggs for Loser, which was universally panned by critics. Bouncing between romantic comedies and thrillers, Hollywood didn't seem to know what to make of her. She did have some success with Rob Reiner's Rumor Has It along with story arcs on Six Feet Under, American Horror Story (as the Black Dahlia), and Chicago Fire, but it really wasn't until last year that her career has had a real resurgence.
Suvari has been providing multiple voices for the Cartoon Network show Clarence and had a supporting role in Becks, which is currently making its rounds on the festival circuit. She's also set to star in the upcoming TVLand show American Woman alongside Alicia Silverstone and Jennifer Bartels. Aside from acting, Suvari has also been an advocate for children and women's rights.
8. Lawrence Pressman
While he didn't have a huge role in the film, Lawrence Pressman's Coach Marshall character was, nevertheless, memorable. As Stifler and the others were dead set on getting laid before graduation, Coach Marshall gave an impassioned speech—ironically encouraging them to score. Pressman reprised his role in American Wedding, but didn't appear in the other two sequels, instead making a number of guest star appearances on TV shows like The West Wing, The Practice, and Without A Trace. He did reunite with several of the American Pie actors for American Dreamz, which is coincidentally not a part of the American Pie franchise.
Unlike most of his castmates from the film, Pressman has been a working actor since the 1970s, appearing in almost every major TV show since then that you can think of (including Doogie Howser!). While he played a coach in American Pie, Pressman is usually cast as a judge or doctor in almost everything he does. You've likely seen him in any number of shows, but currently you can find him as Shelly's husband on Transparent.
7. John Cho
John Cho only had a bit part in American Pie as the MILF guy, but that iconic moment marked the first time he would get recognized on the street as an actor. While it didn't suddenly make him an overnight sensation with starring roles (or even consistent characters who actually had names), it eventually led to the start of Harold & Kumar franchise with Kal Penn. In between those films, he starred in a number of failed TV shows, including 2009's Flash Forward and 2014's Selfie with Karen Gillan. He also had a reoccurring role on Sleepy Hollow as a police officer turned demon.
However, unlike pretty much every other actor on this list, most people have forgotten about his part in American Pie in lieu of a more recent role. Cho was cast as Hikaru Sulu in the J.J. Abrams reboot of Star Trek, reprising his role for two more films and counting.
6. Eden Riegel
Affectionately known as the Sophomore Chick, Eden Riegel was not a member of the main cast of American Pie, but because she was the girl Stifler was trying to sleep with, she warrants inclusion. Riegel's role in American Pie actually came while she was enrolled in Harvard studying to become a lawyer. The following year, she also interned at the White House under President Bush.
Acting was primarily a hobby of hers at the time, but she left Harvard in 2000 to accept a role on All My Children as Erica Kane's daughter, Bianca—the first openly gay character on a soap opera. She stayed in that role for ten years and then started a family in 2011. She occasionally takes guest roles on other soap operas or TV shows like Castle, NCIS, and Criminal Minds, but these days, Riegel's career mainly consists of voice acting for video games including the Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Call of Duty, and Dead or Alive franchises.
5. Chris Owen
There's always that one nerdy guy who somehow thinks he's God's gift to woman. Daria had Upchuck, The Big Big Theory has Wolowitz, and American Pie had the Shermanator. Played by Chris Owen, Chuck Sherman let everyone think he was scoring big time, leading to an embarrassing scene at prom where he pisses his pants. Owen appeared in a number of other well-loved teen movies leading up to American Pie, including Can't Hardly Wait and She's All That, but the success didn't stick. He had a bit part in Van Wilder: Party Liaison with Tara Reid and one of the American Pie spinoffs, American Pie Presents: Band Camp, but nothing on the level of the original American Pie.
Owen tried his hand at a few serious roles, but the only one of note was as Norm the bag boy in the 2007 adaptation of The Mist. In 2012, he was rumored to have been working as a waiter at a sushi restaurant in Santa Monica, CA despite appearing in American Reunion with the rest of the American Pie cast. Since then, he's had guest roles on Criminal Minds and Hand of God, with two low-budget horror films also coming out in the next year or so.
4. Tara Reid
Aside from playing Vicky in American Pie, most people know Tara Reid from her party girl days, showing up in tabloids alongside Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton. Her subsequent films also reflected that lifestyle, starring in plenty of teen movies and sex comedies like Van Wilder with Ryan Reynolds. However, pretty much everything she got herself involved in was crap, garnering her three Razzie award nominations between the films My Boss's Daughter and Alone in the Dark.
Reid caught a lucky streak for a while with a minor role on Scrubs as one of J.D.'s love interests (and Dr. Cox's ex-sister-in-law). Shortly thereafter, she began hosting her own travel show on E! called Taraverse, which was basically a reality show of her partying around the world. As the release of American Reunion revitalized interest in her and her American Pie castmates, Reid signed on with The Asylum for their Sharknado franchise. Since then, she's appeared in all five films, and even launched a perfume called Shark by Tara. She's set to appear in a bunch more low budget horror films through the end of the year, including one called Trailer Park Shark with her American Pie castmate, Thomas Ian Nicholas.
3. Natasha Lyonne
Natasha Lyonne has become one of the most recognizable young actresses in TV and film. But even still, most people remember her for her role as Jessica in American Pie, doling out sex advice to Kevin and Vicky. However, her stint in the American Pie franchise put her on a path to success as an indie icon. She frequently lands supporting roles as the quirky, funny girl (and oftentimes, the lesbian), like in But I'm A Cheerleader and even American Wedding. She's had guest starring roles in New Girl, Weeds, Girls, and Portlandia—making herself a regular in the comedic community.
Nowadays, she's starring in Orange Is The New Black alongside her former American Pie castmate, Jason Biggs. Lyonne plays--what else—a lesbian, and one of the most likable characters on the show. Up next for the typecasted actress are two feature films, including A Futile & Stupid Gesture, the Netflix original movie about the origins of National Lampoon.
2. Eddie Kaye Thomas
Musing nice guy, Paul Finch, scored big time with an older woman in American Pie, having perhaps the most interesting sex scene in the entire movie—while simultaneously sticking it to Stifler by boning his mom. Unfortunately for Eddie Kaye Thomas, most of his luck ran out after the American Pie franchise. Thomas was in a slew of failed TV shows from 2000 onwards, finally landing something lasting with CBS's Scorpion, which premieres its fourth season in September. He also had a few guest starring roles in Law & Order and The X-Files in between, while appearing in gross out comedy films like Freddy Got Fingered and the Harold & Kumar franchise.
Aside from that, he was in, well, a bunch of movies that nobody's ever heard of, save for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist with Michael Cera and Kat Denning in 2008. Alright, so maybe his luck didn't run out completely. Most people don't realize this, but Thomas is the voice of Steve's friend, Barry Johnson, on American Dad!. That has to be a pretty pretty sweet gig, especially since he's had the role since 2005.
1. Jason Biggs
You'd think that a guy who would have sex with an apple pie would get better comedy roles, but Jason Biggs career was pretty up and down until American Reunion. While he did have some standout roles in Saving Silverman and Prozac Nation, everything else consisted mostly of cheesy romantic comedies. Like a bunch of other American Pie actors on this list, he did have roles in a couple of Kevin Smith films and even a Woody Allen film.
After American Reunion, he voiced Leonardo on the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, but was replaced in 2014 by Seth Green. But that's when things really turned around for the American Pie star, landing the role of Piper Chapman's fiancé Larry Bloom on Netflix's hit comedy, Orange is the New Black. You can almost see a little of Jim Levenstein in Larry Bloom, like when he initiates phone sex with Piper in season one. Aside from that, Biggs has three films coming out in the next year and is currently raising a three year old son with his wife, writer/actress Jenny Mollen.
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Which of the stars of American Pie are deserving of bigger Hollywood roles? Let us know in the comments.