Mena_Suvari

Mena Suvari

Mena Adrienne Suvari (born February 13, 1979) is an American actress, model, fashion designer and spokeswoman. She is best known for her supporting role in the Academy Award-winning film American Beauty (1999), as well as the successful comedy American Pie (1999) and its sequel American Pie 2 (2001).

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. She has three older brothers, one of them in the United States 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.

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, Ashley Hall, to offer classes. By the time she started acting, she had been modeling for the New York-based Wilhelmina agency for five years.

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 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 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 been 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.

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.

Personal life

Her first name came from an Egyptian godmother. Suvari married German-born cinematographer Robert Brinkmann on March 4, 2000. Brinkmann is about eighteen years older than her. On April 24, 2005, Suvari filed for legal separation, citing irreconcilable differences; the divorce was finalized in May 2005. In the summer of 2005, she dated professional breakdancer Mike "Murda" Carrasco, a member of Super Cr3w, the season 2 champions of America's Best Dance Crew, as seen on MTV. They met in Braunschweig, Germany in October 2005. In 2007, Suvari began dating Italian-Canadian concert promoter, Simone Sestito.

Suvari 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 charities whose cause is breast cancer, the "End Violence Against Women" campaign, and tours high schools as a "Circle Of Friends" spokesperson, encouraging teenagers to quit smoking.

In July 2008, Suvari became engaged to music producer/concert promoter Simone Sestito, who proposed during their vacation in Jamaica.

Filmography

Film

Kiss the Girls (1997) - Coty Pierce
Snide and Prejudice (1997) - Geli Raubal
Nowhere (1997) - Zoe
Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) - Rachel Hoffman
Atomic Train (1999) - Grace Seger
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
Sonny (2002) - Carol
Spun (2002) - Cookie
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
Orpheus (2006) - Sue Ellen
Caffeine (2006) - Vanessa
The Dog Problem (2006)
Final Fantasy VII Advent Children (2006) - Aerith Gainsborough (voice)
Brooklyn Rules (2007) - Ellen
Stuck (2007) - Brandi
Day of the Dead (2008) - Sarah
The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (2008) - Phlox Lombardi
The Garden of Eden (2008) - 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
Law & Order: SVU (2004) (Season 5, Episode 17: Mean)

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.