Where’s Mena Suvari now?

Mena Suvari entered the 21st century as a major star. ‘American Beauty’ portrayed her as the iconic ánd ironic stereotype of a high school cheerleader. Provocative, controversial and memorable as it was, the film made Suvari a celebrity. What happened to the brilliant actress?



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1999

It was 1999 and ‘American Beauty’ won five Oscars and three more nominations. Twenty years later, critics recognize that the film contained politically incorrect features and a hetero-patriarchal bias in drawing some of its female characters.



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Icon of the beginning of the 21st century

Despite its pitfalls, the movie has some brilliant interpretations – including that by Mena Suvari. The actress became an instant star and an example of charisma and elegance.



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From ‘American Beauty’ to ‘American Pie’

In 1999 Mena Suvari also starred in ‘American Pie,’ a comedy very different from ‘American Beauty.’



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High school, its meaning in American culture

Deep down, however, the roles had similarities. Their link was a portrayal of high school as a lost paradise – or as hell.

 

(On the photo: Mena Suvari with co-stars Wes Bentley and Thora Birch in ‘American Beauty’)



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Life after two great successes

Mena Suvari has continued to make films after ‘American Beauty’ and ‘American Pie’. However, no subsequent role has had the same repercussions as these two.



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Cinema and some great series

She appeared in films like ‘Domino’ and ‘Final Fantasy VII,’ and in series like ‘Six Feet Under’ and ‘American Horror Story: Apocalypse’. Not the least of Hollywood’s achievements, we may say.



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‘American Pie’ continued

Despite these great titles, the actress’s career did not take off. Not even the two sequels to ‘American Pie,’ in 2001 and 2012, could help her break through.



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What’s Mena Suvari’s backstory?

Mena Suvari (born February 13, 1979) started working in showbiz early on. She was already modelling at age 12. And before she turned 18, she made the leap to cinema.



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From modelling to acting at age 17

After spending five years as a model at the Wihelmina Models New York agency, the actress put her modelling career on hold to dedicate herself to film. Her first role was in the movie ‘Nowhere’ (1997).



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A star with one foot in fashion

After becoming a Hollywood star, Mena Suvari returned to fashion. She was a regular in Lancôme campaigns, and she launched her own clothing line as well.



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Three marriages before the age of 40

Personally, Mena Suvari’s life was quite a whirlwind. She got married three times before she was 40.



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Married at 21

On 18 March 2000, the actress married Robert Brinkmann, a German film photographer. Mena Suvari was 21 while Brinkmann was about to turn 40. In April 2005, the couple divorced. They said it was due to irreconcilable differences.



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Mena Suvari’s second marriage at the Vatican

Five years later, in June 2010, Mena Suvari married music producer Simone Sestito. The ceremony took place in a church in the Vatican, because Sestito’s family was very religious. He even had two nuns in the family.



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Mena Suvari’s second marriage: it was short

Various media reported that Mena had to cover up her tattoos during the wedding, out of respect for the Sestito family. In 2012, only two years after the ceremony, the couple divorced.



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The tattoo artist whom she did not marry

After the religious Italian husband, Mena Suvari dated tattoo artist Salvador Sanchez for a few years. They did not get married.



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Mena Suvari’s third husband

Mena Suvari’s third marriage came in 2018. Michael Hope is not only her current husband but in the spring of 2021 he will become the father of the actress’ first child.



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Mena Suvari: pregnant

In October 2020, the actress announced on Instagram that she was going to be a mother. The first baby of Mena and her husband Michael will be born in 2021. Suvari will then be 42 years old.



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Great news: she will be a mother in 2021

Mena Suvari calls the pregnancy “the biggest and most beautiful gift we have been given. I will never have enough words to describe my love for this beautiful soul that comes into our lives.”

 

(Photo: Instagram, Mena Suvari)



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Will there be Hollywood redemption for Mena Suvari?

The actress continues to make films as well. Between 2020 and 2021 she has up to eight films in production and ready for release. They may bring her the same success of  ‘American Beauty’ and ‘American Pie’ at some point.



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20/20 SLIDES