Chris Klein (actor)
Chris Klein | |
---|---|
Born | Frederick Christopher Klein |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1999–present |
Frederick Christopher "Chris" Klein[1] (born March 14, 1979) is an American movie actor. He is perhaps best known for playing Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the 1999 film American Pie.
Early life
Klein was born and raised in Hinsdale, Illinois, the son of Terese, a kindergarten teacher, and Fred Klein, an engineer.[2] Klein was the second of three children. His older sister Debbie was born in 1978, and his younger brother was born in 1982. As a child, Klein had his first on stage experience by singing “This Little Light of Mine” in a community theater at the Sheraton Convention Center in Chicago. He lived in the town for thirteen years before his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska. At Millard West High School, Klein acted in his high school's performance of West Side Story, and played quarterback and linebacker for the football team. In his senior year, Klein was offered his first professional acting job by director Alexander Payne, who was scouting Omaha, his hometown, as a potential filming location for the film Election. He attended Texas Christian University (TCU) in Fort Worth, Texas.
Career
After auditioning for the film, Payne chose Klein and they began filming. In April 1999, the film was released to positive reviews. Soon after, Klein found a steady amount of work in the film industry while briefly attending Texas Christian University, where he studied theater and was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He was next seen in American Pie, which opened on July 9, 1999, and was a box office success. Klein has subsequently appeared in several films catering to teenage audiences, with the most recent including Just Friends (2005) and American Dreamz (2006).
Personal life
In January 2000, Klein and actress Katie Holmes began dating. He proposed to her in 2004, but the two broke off the engagement in early 2005. In 2006, he was linked to Lindly Gardner. He dated actress Ginnifer Goodwin for two years; they split in December 2008.[3]
In Season 3 of Punk'd, Klein was the focus of a prank which involved being told that his home was the scene of a hostage situation. Despite seeing cameramen and audio specialists in his home, Klein remained ignorant to the set-up and ducked for cover when told to do so.[4]
Filmography
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
1999 | Election | Paul Metzler | |
American Pie | Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher | ||
2000 | Here on Earth | Kelvin 'Kelley' Morse | |
2001 | Say It Isn't So | Gilbert Noble | |
American Pie 2 | Chris 'Oz' Ostreicher | ||
2002 | Rollerball | Jonathan Cross | |
We Were Soldiers | 2nd Lt. Jack Geoghegan | ||
2003 | The United States of Leland | Allen Harris | |
2005 | Tilt-A-Whirl | Customer#2 | Short film |
Just Friends | Dusty Dinkleman | ||
The Long Weekend | Cooper | ||
2006 | American Dreamz | William Williams | |
Lenexa, 1 Mile | Andy Lausier | ||
2007 | The Good Life | Tad | |
Day Zero | George Rifkin | ||
New York City Serenade | Actor | ||
2008 | Hank and Mike | Conrad Hubriss | |
2009 | Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li | Charlie Nash | |
The Six Wives of Henry Lefay | |||
Play Dead | Ronnie Reno | Direct-to-video | |
Caught in the Crossfire | Briggs | Post-production | |
2010 | The Wild Bunch | Voice role, In production | |
2011 | American Pie 4 | Pre-Production |
Television
Film | |||
---|---|---|---|
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
2002 | The Electric Playground | 1 episode | |
2006 | American Dad! | Gary/Rick | Voice role 1 episode, With Friends Like Steve's |
2007 | The Valley of Light | Noah | CBS Television movie |
2008 | Welcome to The Captain | Marty Tanner | 5 episodes |
Awards and nominations
Chicago Film Critics Association
- 2000: Nominated, "Most Promising Actor" - American Pie
- 2000: Nominated, "Choice Breakout Performance" - American Pie
- 2000: Nominated, "Choice Liar" - American Pie
Young Hollywood Awards
- 2001: Won, "Male Superstar of Tomorrow"
References
External links
- Chris Klein at IMDb