Mena Suvari
Mena Suvari | |
|---|---|
 Mena Suvari | |
| Born | Mena Adrienne Suvari |
| Occupation(s) | actress, fashion designer |
| Spouse | Robert Brinkmann (2000-2005) |
Mena Adrienne Suvari (born February 13, 1979) is an American actress, model, fashion designer and spokeswoman. She is perhaps best known for her work in American Beauty (1999) and the first two American Pie films.
Biography
Early life
Suvari was born in Newport, Rhode Island, the daughter of Candice, a Greek American nurse, and Ando Süvari, an Estonian-American psychiatrist.[1][2][3] She has 3 older brothers, 1 of them in the US army. By the age of twelve, Suvari was modeling; she starred in a Rice-A-Roni commercial by the age of thirteen. Attended Providence High School, in Burbank, California, class of 1997.
Suvari spent her early years in a stone mansion that she insists was haunted.[4] She and her brothers saw several apparitions over the years.[citation needed] The family later relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, where her three older brothers lined up to attend the Citadel. Meanwhile, Mena was entertaining dreams of becoming an archaeologist, astronaut or doctor, when a modeling agency stopped by her all-girls school to offer classes. By the time she started acting, she had been modelling for the New York-based Wilhelmina agency for five years.[4]
Career
Suvari made appearances in television shows such as Boy Meets World and ER at the age of fifteen and sixteen respectively. In 1999, she starred in the Oscar-winning American Beauty and the popular American Pie. Suvari was nominated for a BAFTA for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role, for her role in American Beauty.
She followed these movies with roles in such movies as Loser (2000), The Musketeer (2001), and Spun (2002). Suvari is the only actress to appear in three consecutive movies that start with the word "American": American Pie (1999), American Beauty (1999), American Virgin (2000). Suvari also became a recurring character in the fourth season of the critically acclaimed HBO serial Six Feet Under in 2004, as lesbian performance poet and artist, Edie. Suvari was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for "Favorite Actress - Newcomer (Internet Only)" in 2000 for American Pie.
In 2006, Suvari performed the voice role of Aerith Gainsborough in the Square Enix/Disney video game Kingdom Hearts II and the English-language version of Square Enix's Final Fantasy VII Advent Children.
She has lead roles in the upcoming remake of the zombie movie Day of the Dead as well as Stuart Gordon's controversial film Stuck.
Fashion
Suvari is a model for Lancôme cosmetics and print ads for Lancôme Paris Adaptîve. She has featured in fashion magazines such as Vogue.
Suvari has collaborated with Echo Design to launch a limited-edition three scarf collection. The project features her own nature-inspired photography, digitally screened on silk and silk chiffon as wearable art. The collection depicts trees in three stages of foliage from fall to winter; a portion of the proceeds from sales will go to the Natural Resources Defense Council.[5]
In June 2007, Suvari shaved her head for her lead role in the forthcoming movie adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's The Garden of Eden; photos appeared on the Internet rapidly.[6]
In October 2007, Suvari posed topless in Italian Vanity Fair magazine.[7]
Personal life
Her first name came from an Egyptian godmother. Suvari married German-born cinematographer Robert Brinkmann on March 4, 2000.[8] Brinkmann is 18 years her senior. On April 24, 2005, Suvari filed for legal separation, citing irreconcilable differences; the divorce was finalised in May 2005. In the summer of 2005, she dated professional breakdancer Mike "Murda" Carrasco, a member of "Knuckle Head Zoo". They met in Braunschweig, Germany in October 2005. In 2007 Suvari began dating Italian-Canadian dancer boyfriend, Simone Sestito.
Suvari also plays on the World Poker Tour in the Hollywood Home games for the Starlight Children's Foundation.
She is also active in female empowerment issues. She is involved with several breast cancer charities and the "End Violence Against Women" campaign, and tours high schools as a "Circle Of Friends" spokesperson, encouraging young women to quit smoking.
Filmography
Film
- Kiss the Girls (1997) - Coty Pierce
- Snide and Prejudice (1997) - Geli Raubal
- Nowhere (1997) - Zoe
- Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) - Rachel Hoffman
- American Pie (1999) - Heather
- The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999) - Lisa Parker
- American Beauty (1999) - Angela Hayes
- Loser (2000) - Dora Diamond
- American Virgin (2000) - Katrina Bartalotti
- The Musketeer (2001) - Francesca Bonacieux
- American Pie 2 (2001) - Heather
- Sugar & Spice (2001) - Kansas Hill
- Spun (2002) - Cookie
- Sonny (2002) - Carol
- Trauma (2004) - Charlotte
- Standing Still (2004) - Lana
- Edmond (2005) - Prostitute
- Rumor Has It (2005) - Annie
- Domino (2005) - Kimmie
- Beauty Shop (2005) - Joanne
- Factory Girl (2006) - Richie Berlin
- Caffeine (2006) - Vanessa
- The Dog Problem (2006)
- Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (2006) - Aerith Gainsborough (voice)
- Brooklyn Rules (2006) - Ellen
- Stuck (2007) - Brandi
- Day of the Dead (2008) - Sarah
- The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008) - Phlox Lombardi
- The Garden of Eden (2008) (post-production) - Catherine Bourne
Television
- Death of a Cheerleader (1994) - High School Student
- Boy Meets World (1995) - Laura
- High Incident (1996-1997) - Jill Marsh
- ER (1996) - Laura-Lee Armitage
- Minor Adjustments (1996) - Emily
- Boy Meets World (1996) - Hilary
- 413 Hope St. (1997) - Crystal
- Chicago Hope (1997) - Ivy Moore
- Atomic Train (1999) - Grace Seger
- Saturday Night Live (2001) - Host
- Six Feet Under (2004) - Edie
Other
- TV commercial for Rice-A-Roni (1992).
- Appears with Jason Biggs in the "Teenage Dirtbag" music video by Wheatus. From the soundtrack of the movie Loser.
- Kingdom Hearts II video game (2006) - Aerith Gainsborough.
- "Orange Mobile Phone Advert" in which she appears as Joan of Arc. This clip is shown in some cinemas to advise the audience to switch mobile phones off.
References
- ^ "Pie's American Beauty Dabbles in Swordplay". Girl.com.au. Oct 2001. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
- ^ "Expressly "American"". USA WEEKEND Magazine. 2001-01-21. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
- ^ "Interview with Mena Suvari at the Hollywood Premiere of "Rumor Has It"". Retrieved 2007-11-25.
- ^ a b "Article of Mena Suvari". Aclasscelebs. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
- ^ "Mena Suvari's Scarf Tale". Fashion Week Daily. 2007-08-10. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
- ^ "Mena Suvari Pulls a Britney". Thirty Mile Zone. 2007-08-06. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
- ^ "Mena Suvari Topless Pictures from Vanity Fair Italy". Egotastic!. 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2007-11-25.
- ^ "Biography for Mena Suvari". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
External links
