Mena Suvari facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mena Suvari
Suvari in February 2016
Born	Mena Alexandra Suvari (1979-02-13) February 13, 1979 (age 46) Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.
Occupation	Actress producer fashion designer model
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Robert Brinkmann ​ ​ (m. 2000; div. 2005)​ Simone Sestito ​ ​ (m. 2010; div. 2012)​ Michael Hope ​ ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	1

Mena Alexandra Suvari (born February 13, 1979) is an American actress, producer, fashion designer, and model. She has won a Screen Actors Guild Award and has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a BAFTA Award.

Suvari started her career as a model and had guest roles on TV shows. Her first movie was the 1997 comedy-drama Nowhere. She became famous worldwide for her roles as Angela in the award-winning movie American Beauty (1999) and as Heather in the American Pie movies. For American Beauty, she was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Some of her other movies include Slums of Beverly Hills (1998), Loser (2000), Sugar & Spice (2001), and The Musketeer (2001).

On television, Suvari has had main roles in the horror series South of Hell (2015) and the comedy American Woman (2018). In 2024, she was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for her role in the series RZR. She also had a memorable role as Elizabeth Short in the popular series American Horror Story.

Suvari has modeled for Lancôme cosmetics. She also supports charities like the Starlight Children's Foundation and the African Medical and Research Foundation.

Early life

Mena Suvari was born in Newport, Rhode Island. Her mother, Candice, was a nurse, and her father, Ando, was a psychiatrist. Her mother has Greek roots, and her father was from Estonia. Mena has six siblings.

She began modeling as a preteen and appeared in a Rice-A-Roni commercial. Her family later moved to Charleston, South Carolina. When she was young, Mena thought about becoming an archaeologist, astronaut, or doctor. A modeling agency visited her school, and she started modeling for the Wilhelmina agency in New York. After five years of modeling, she moved to California to focus on acting and graduated from Providence High School in 1997.

Career

Early Acting Roles

When she was 15 and 16, Suvari started acting in TV shows like Boy Meets World and ER. She also appeared in the show High Incident.

Her first movie role was as Zoe in the 1997 independent film Nowhere. She also had small parts in the thriller Kiss the Girls and the comedy Slums of Beverly Hills.

Breakthrough Success

Suvari in 2007

Suvari's big break came in 1999 with two major films: the comedy American Pie and the drama American Beauty. In American Pie, she played Heather, a sweet choir girl. The movie was a huge hit, earning over $235 million around the world.

In American Beauty, she played Angela Hayes, a complex teenager. The movie won the Academy Award for Best Picture and was praised by critics. For her performance, Suvari was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.

After these successes, she starred with her American Pie co-star Jason Biggs in the romantic comedy Loser (2000). She also appeared in the music video for the song "Teenage Dirtbag" by the band Wheatus. In 2001, she starred in the action movie The Musketeer and returned as Heather in American Pie 2, which was another box office success.

Independent Films and Voice Acting

Throughout the 2000s, Suvari acted in many independent films. She also had a recurring role in the popular HBO series Six Feet Under in 2004. Her work on the show earned her and the cast a nomination for a Screen Actors Guild Award.

A fun fact for gamers is that Suvari voiced the character Aerith Gainsborough in the video game Kingdom Hearts II and the movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children.

She starred in the thriller Stuck (2007), which received positive reviews. In 2008, she appeared in the horror movie Day of the Dead and the film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's novel, The Garden of Eden. For this role, she shaved her head, which she called a "liberating" and "empowering" experience.

Return to Television and Film

Suvari at the Sydney premiere of American Reunion (2012)

In 2012, Suvari returned to her famous role as Heather in American Reunion. The movie brought back the original cast and was a big hit with fans, earning $235 million worldwide.

Suvari has also been very active on television. She had a recurring role in the series Chicago Fire in 2013. In 2015, she starred as a demon-hunter in the supernatural series South of Hell.

In 2018, she had a main role in the TV series American Woman, which was about three women finding their independence in the 1970s. She also returned to American Horror Story to play Elizabeth Short again in the season titled Apocalypse.

In 2024, Suvari starred as Detective Thompson in the science fiction series RZR. Her performance earned her a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award, the first of her career. She also played actress Jane Wyman in the 2024 movie Reagan.

Charity Work

Suvari is passionate about helping others. She has worked with the Natural Resources Defense Council to design a line of scarves to raise money for charity.

She has also played in the World Poker Tour to support the Starlight Children's Foundation. She is active in causes that support women and has toured high schools to encourage teenagers not to smoke. Suvari is also a long-time supporter of the African Medical and Research Foundation, and has traveled to Africa to help with their projects.

Personal life

Suvari married cinematographer Robert Brinkmann in 2000, and they divorced in 2005. She later married concert promoter Simone Sestito in 2010, and their marriage ended in 2012.

In 2018, Suvari married Michael Hope. In April 2021, they welcomed their first child, a son.

Since 2017, Suvari has been a vegan. This means she does not eat or use any animal products. She is committed to using products that are not tested on animals and are good for the environment.

Selected Filmography

Selected Television

See also

In Spanish: Mena Suvari para niños