Since there are so many people who have spent their whole lives dreaming of becoming a professional actor, the odds are stacked against people who want to be a movie star. As a result, anyone who enjoys even a moment of fame after starring in a hit film should thank their lucky stars that they got their moment in the sun.
Of course, once an actor makes it to the top of the business, it can be nearly impossible to ever accept that their fortunes have flipped. For that reason, there are a lot of past stars who’ve seemingly never been able to accept that they aren’t famous anymore. While some once-famous actors spend the rest of their lives chasing the dragon, that isn’t always the case.
At one time, it certainly seemed like Mena Suvari was perfectly positioned to spend several years as a movie star. However, after her initial brush with fame, it didn’t take long for her fifteen minutes of fame to come to an end. Of course, that begs an obvious question, has Mena Suvari found success and happiness or is she haunted by her past?
Mena’s Early Years
In Hollywood, all it takes for someone to become famous is for them to land the right role. For that reason, at times it can be all too easy to assume that the actors who hit paydirt after a single role are overnight successes. In reality, however, most of those actors spent years on end building to the moment that they were introduced to the general public.
In the case of Mena Suvari, when she was considering becoming an archaeologist, astronaut, or doctor, a modeling agency came to her school and discovered the then-12 year old. After taking classes in runway walking, Suvari went on to work for the Wilhelmina agency for five years. Even though Suvari was working for one of the preeminent modeling agencies in the world, she began to be more interested in another career path, acting.
When Mena Suvari was only 15-years-old, she began appearing in shows like Boy Meets World, ER, Chicago Hope, and others. Just like a lot of other movie stars who started on television, Suvari was eventually able to transition to the big screen. In fact, before Suvari became famous she appeared in movies like Kiss the Girls, Nowhere, and Slums of Beverly Hills.
Major Movie Star
If you look back on the movies that came out in 1999, it is very clear that the year was a great one for movie fans. After all, a slew of classic films came out during that year, including Being John Malkovich, The Sixth Sense, The Matrix, Notting Hill, and Fight Club among others. With that in mind, it is even more amazing when you realize that a little teen comedy called American Pie became one of the year’s biggest hits.
After American Pie took the world by storm, most of its stars became celebrities overnight and they went on to star in several projects. Unfortunately, however, many of those actors never went on to appear in another film that enjoyed a similar level of success. However, unlike her American Pie co-stars, Mena Suvari went on to appear in another one of 1999’s most successful films.
Just like American Pie before it, when American Beauty was released it didn’t take long for it to become one of the most talked-about movies around. In fact, for several years after American Beauty was released, mocking the film's garbage bag in the wind sequence was extremely common. While Mena Suvari didn’t headline American Beauty, her role in the film’s success shouldn’t be underestimated either. After all, the sequence in which Suvari was covered by rose petals was one of the most memorable parts of the film for many. Of course, American Beauty, unfortunately, isn’t remembered very fondly now due to the actions of the film’s main star.
Still Going Strong
Unlike some former stars who end up in the tabloid headlines, Mena Suvari has avoided the kinds of controversies that have taken down many of her peers. Instead, from the outside looking in, it seems as though Suvari has found happiness. After all, while Suvari has been married three times, she seems to be happy with her current husband Michael Hope, and in October 2020, the couple announced they were expecting a son. While talking to People about her pregnancy, Suvari said one thing that sums up her feelings on becoming a mother to a baby boy. "It's all I ever wanted for years. Even before I met my husband, I always wanted a little boy and it just feels so beautiful and special."
When it comes to Mena Suvari’s career, she has continued to work as an actor ever since American Pie was released. Sure, Suvari rarely gets roles in movies and shows that reign supreme in the ratings or at the box office but it is impressive that Mena has never given up on her passion. Of course, that isn’t to say that Suvari hasn’t appeared in some projects of note over the last twenty years. After all, she starred in a pair of American Pie sequels, and other movies like Loser, Factory Girl, and a remake of the horror classic Day of the Dead. On the television front, Mena showed up in shows like Six Feet Under, Psych, American Horror Story, and Chicago Fire.