Mena Suvari as Lisa Parker
Twenty-three years ago, telekinetic Carrie White was humiliated at her prom. In a rage, she lit the whole gym on fire killing everyone who was there except Sue Snell. Now in 1999, Carrie's telekinetic half-sister Rachel is just about to go to her prom. No one has any idea of the power she posses except Sue, who is now the counselor of the school. She tries to warn Rachel about her half-sister's powers and that Rachel might possess the same. But the kids do have an idea planned on the night of the prom, something Rachel will never forget and neither will they if they live threw it.
Biography for Mena Adrienne Suvari
Date of birth
9 February 1979
Newport, Rhode Island, USA
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Mini biography
Mena Adrienne Suvari was born on February 9, 1979, in Newport, Rhode Island. Her father was Ando Suvari, an Estonian psychiatrist; and her mother Candice, a nurse. Mena's first name comes from her British Aunt named after the "House of Mena" Hotel (at the base of the pyramids in Egypt); her last name is Estonian. Mena has 3 older brothers: A.J., Sulev, and Yuri. Mena started modeling at age 12, and her acting career began when she did a Rice-a-Roni commercial at age 13. She was also a Wilhelmina model for a few years. Mena attended middle school at the Ashley Hall all-girls school in Charleston, South Carolina, and graduated from Providence High School in Burbank, California. Her nickname in high school was "bean".
Mena was a natural for movies: she is petite (5'4"), has blue eyes, and her natural hair color is red. Mena's breakout role was as a choir girl in the teen comedy American Pie (1999). This was followed by her great performance in American Beauty (1999), which won 5 Oscars. Mena married Robert Brinkmann, a cinematographer, on March 18, 2000. Mena's hobbies include: painting watercolors, playing the piano, and hiking. Her fans look forward to her new movies, in what promises to be a long and successful career.
Smart, stylish, and probably older than you think, Mena Suvari is poised to become one of the busiest leading ladies of Generation Y. The petite actress inched her way into film, only to rocket into the spotlight with back-to-back performances in American Pie (1999) and American Beauty (1999). Now, with scripts pouring in and gossipmongers nipping at her heels, there's no going back to life as the girl next door.
Born in Newport, Rhode Island, and named after an Egyptian godmother, Suvari spent her early years in an old stone mansion that she insists was haunted. The family later relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, where her three older brothers lined up to attend the Citadel (a military college). Mena, meanwhile, was entertaining dreams of becoming an archaeologist, astronaut, or doctor. Her interests took a turn for the... less cerebral, however, when a modeling agency stopped by her all-girls school to offer classes. At age 12, after receiving a few pointers on her runway strut, Suvari attended a modeling convention and was snapped up by the New York-based Wilhelmina agency. She commuted up and down the East Coast for two years before her parents, Candice (a nurse) and Ando (a retired psychiatrist), decided to move their budding starlet to California.
When she reached L.A., Suvari started in on TV work almost immediately--commercials at first, followed by guest appearances on "Boy Meets World" (1993), "ER" (1994), and "Chicago Hope" (1994). She launched her movie career in 1997, picking up small roles in Gregg Araki's Nowhere (1997) and the Morgan Freeman-Ashley Judd thriller Kiss the Girls (1997). She popped up again in the background of Slums of Beverly Hills (1998), then landed a slightly meatier role as the best friend of the telekinetic heroine in Rage: Carrie 2, The (1999).
Suvari's ticket to fame was the teen sex quest American Pie (1999), which cast her as a wholesome high-schooler who falls for a jock (Chris Klein). A few months later, she turned even more heads as the vampish cheerleader who captures Kevin Spacey's unwholesome imagination in American Beauty (1999). The sultry-but-fragile character earned Suvari a British Academy Award nomination, as well as a flurry of job offers and gushing fansites. In the midst of the hubbub surrounding the film, she slipped off with her boyfriend, cinematographer Robert Brinkmann, to tie the knot in a secret ceremony. The media was quick to point out the pair's 16-year age difference, but Suvari shrugged it off (her parents are separated by more than 20 years).
The in-demand actress completed her patriotic hat trick by starring in American Virgin (2000) (originally titled Live Virgin) as the daughter of a porn king. The title change wasn't enough of a boost to keep the mediocre movie afloat in theaters--after a brief New York run, it headed straight to video. Her next effort was another underperformer, but the aptly named Loser (2000) (a collegiate love story that reunited her with American Pie's Jason Biggs) at least made it into suburban circulation--perhaps on the name recognition of its two young stars. Suvari kept her chin up, heading back to high school for the cheerleading/bank heist flick Sugar & Spice (2001) and joining the cast of the period film Musketeer, The (2001).
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Trivia
Graduated from Providence High School in Burbank, California class of 1997.
Her first name came from an Egyptian godmother.
Is a natural red-hed.
Last name "Suvari", pronounced "soo-VAHR-ee", is Estonian.
First name "Mena", pronounced "MEE-nah".
Has 3 older brothers, 2 of them in US army.
Mother is a nurse; father is a psychiatrist.
Mena was raised in a Rhode Island home that was built in 1870 and which she and her brothers believed was haunted. They saw several apparitions over the years, all of which she believed was friendly.
People Weekly magazine titled an article about her "All-American Girl" (1999).
Declared as the most "patriotic" artist of 2000 by Entertainment Weekly magazine, making allusion to her 3 consecutive movies with the word "American" on their titles: American Pie (1999), American Beauty (1999) and American Virgin (2000). In 2001, she added American Pie 2 (2001) to that list.
Her mother is of Greek descent.
Mena and husband Robert Brinkmann have taken considerable flak because of their age differential - 16 years. Robert is a cinematographer.
Did her own singing in American Pie (1999).
Auditioned for the role of Mary Jane in Spider Man.
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Personal quotes
"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?'"
Light in the Sky (2003)
Sonny (2003) .... Carol
Spun (2002) .... Cookie
Musketeer, The (2001) .... Francesca
American Pie 2 (2001) .... Heather
Sugar & Spice (2001) .... Kansas Hill
2000 MTV Movie Awards (2000) (TV) .... Presenter
Loser (2000) .... Dora Diamond
... aka Loser, The (2000) (USA)
American Virgin (2000) .... Katrina Bartalotti
... aka Live Virgin (1999) (UK) (USA: first title)
Spotlight on Location: American Pie (1999) (TV) .... Herself
... aka Making of 'American Pie', The (1999) (TV) (USA: DVD title)
American Beauty (1999) .... Angela Hayes
American Pie (1999) .... Heather
Atomic Train (1999) (TV) .... Grace Seger
Rage: Carrie 2, The (1999) .... Lisa Parker
Snide and Prejudice (1998) .... Geli
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) .... Rachel Hoffman
Kiss the Girls (1997) (as Mena A. Suvari) .... Coty Pierce
Nowhere (1997) .... Zoe