As it turns out, we didn't really say "bye bye" to the cast of American Pie.
Here's what they've all been up to since appearing in the 1999 classic.
Jason Biggs was the actor tasked with bringing that infamous apple pie moment to life, and
we can only imagine he had a million questions for his director before doing the deed.
That's probably true of most of his scenes in "American Pie" because more than any other
character, Jim suffers the brunt of the film's angsty teen indignities.
"Again!?"
"Not again."
"Not again, man!"
"Is that possible?"
Whatever the case, one has to admire Biggs' dedication to enduring those indignities,
and he leans so fully into every salacious moment that you simply can't imagine "American
Pie" without him.
While "American Pie" indeed made the relatively unknown Biggs a star, he's had trouble replicating
such meteoric success in the years since.
Still, the actor has made a mark in the entertainment biz, carving out a career with films including
"Loser," "Saving Silverman," and "Who We Are Now," as well as memorable work on Netflix's
prison dramedy "Orange is the New Black".
More recently, Biggs starred on two short-lived series: the Fox family sitcom "Outmatched"
and the 2021 E! game show "Jason Biggs' Cash at Your Door."
While "American Pie" is essentially about a bunch of horny dudes trying to score, it
was also one of the first "horny dudes" movies that fully acknowledged that horny girls exist, too.
And even if it clearly objectifies some of its female characters, "American Pie" really
did better than most teen sex flicks in depicting its female characters as fiercely intellectual
human beings with desires of their own.
"I'm going to do it.
I'm going to have sex."
"Now."
"And it's going to be right, and it's going to be just perfect."
"Perfect sex."
"Thank you."
"Please."
Alyson Hannigan's flute-playing "band geek" Michelle is one of the film's female characters
most distinctly in the middle of that equation, mostly because "American Pie" doesn't initially
paint her as an object of desire.
That quickly changes when she drops that shocking line about the intimate nature of her relationship
with her flute.
At that wholly unexpected turn, she actually becomes the adorable, band-loving sexpot that
cinema didn't know it needed.
"What's my name?
Say my name, b---h!"
"Michelle, Michelle!"
Of course, out of all the young stars in the original "American Pie," Hannigan was likely
the one who needed little introduction to the film's target audience because she'd already
made a splash on the small screen via "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as Willow Rosenberg.
Of the film's cast, Hannigan is also the one who scored the biggest post-"Pie" hit, joining
another all-star comedy ensemble for the prime-time juggernaut known as "How I Met Your Mother."
Of all the young men who got their big break in "American Pie," Chris Klein was the one
most primed for superstardom.
That's largely because he's got chiseled, leading man looks, but it helps that he's
a better-than-average actor, has solid comedic timing, and can even belt out a tune with
the best of them.
“Yeah, magic.”
And as it happens, 1999 was the year Klein seemed most destined for fame, with winning
turns in both "American Pie" as Oz the hunky but sensitive jock and in critical fave "Election"
as Paul the lovably dimwitted football player.
However, "American Pie" was clearly the more high-profile project, and Klein rode the initial
wave of stardom to a leading role in the sci-fi action remake "Rollerball," as well as largely
under-seen supporting turns in "We Were Soldiers" and "Just Friends".
Soon after that "Just Friends" appearance, Chris Klein further lost his way in Hollywood,
spending much of the mid-2000s appearing in forgettable films and series too numerous
to recount.
Klein finally started to turn things around with a supporting turn performance opposite
Elijah Wood in the gonzo FX dramedy "Wilfred."
Since then, he's gone on to deliver work in the CW hit "The Flash", and on Netflix's warm
and fuzzy hit "Sweet Magnolias" as Dr. Bill Townsend.
Mena Suvari had a fantastic 1999 — and not just because she played Michelle in "American Pie".
She also played Angela in future Best Picture winner "American Beauty," which was ironically
released just after Suvari's other 1999 offering, "American Virgin" — since renamed "Live Virgin".
Clearly, 1999 was an all-American year for Mena Suvari at the cinemas.
And as it happens, she played a virginal teen in all three of those films, though most would
agree her Michelle in "American Pie" was the most honorable.
It was also the role that put the actor's piercing vulnerability front and center and
allowed her to craft as earnest a portrait of teenaged tenderness as the screen has seen.
"Oz, I know."
In fact, Suvari has spent much of her career since trying to shed that innocent persona,
a task made more difficult given her own fragile features.
She's often succeeded in that endeavor, though, with edgier turns in films like "Sugar & Spice,"
"Edmond," and "Factory Girl."
While Suvari has some movies on the horizon, she's appeared frequently on the small screen
over the years, playing in "Six Feet Under," "Chicago Fire," "American Woman," and "American
Horror Story" since her "American Pie" breakout.
If Alyson Hannigan was the female cast member of "American Pie" who needed little introduction
to fans, it's safe to say Thomas Ian Nicholas was her male counterpart.
Of all the up-and-coming talent in "American Pie," he was the only one who could count
himself a full-on child star, having already spent a decade in front of the camera before
appearing as Kevin in the film.
"No, that's great, man.
That's awesome."
Nicholas' career pre-"Pie" is fairly impressive, with the actor earning credits on "Who's the
Boss?", "Baywatch", and "Married... with Children" before he was even 10 years old.
He'd also scooped a big screen credit in "Radio Flyer" before fronting "Rookie of the Year"
and Disney's "A Kid in King Arthur's Court."
As it was, "American Pie" was really the first "adult" role in Thomas Ian Nicholas' career,
and the actor made the most of the moment, crafting one of the more amiable horny screen
teens in recent cinema.
Once he got a taste of more adult fare, Nicholas never looked back to his family-friendly beginnings.
He scored complex roles in the likes of "The Rules of Attraction," "Stealing Sinatra,"
and indies like "Please Give."
Most recently, he portrayed Walt Disney in "Walt Before Mickey" and legendary director
Martin Scorsese in James Franco's star-studded indie "Zeroville".
Tara Reid's pre-"Pie" resume wasn't super impressive, but she'd still scored scene-stealing
turns in "Urban Legend," "Cruel Intentions," and something like two scenes in the Coen
Brothers' immortal classic "The Big Lebowski."
"Brandt can't watch though.
Or else he has to pay a hundred."
"That's marvelous."
Still, her work as Vicky displayed a depth many hadn't seen from Reid before, one which
both male and female fans of "American Pie" could easily relate to.
Reid seemed destined for stardom after the film's release, and reinforced her name with
roles in underperforming flicks like "Dr. T and the Women," "Josie and the Pussycats"
and "National Lampoon's Van Wilder."
And don't forget her funny arc on "Scrubs."
"We'd still die."
"We'd still what?"
"If the elevator cable snapped, even if we timed it perfectly and jumped up right before
impact, we'd still be crushed to death.
I wish I'd have taken the stairs."
However, like many of her "American Pie" co-stars, Reid had some trouble in the mid-2000s.
Nevertheless, she's become a regular fixture of B-movies and schmaltzy Christmas flicks,
and made an appearance as herself in Amazon's hyper-violent superhero satire "The Boys."
Natasha Lyonne stole the show as the gloriously quippy intellectual Jessica, projecting attitude,
wit, and genuine warmth well beyond her years.
"Oh Kev, oh.
Yeah.
Comprende?"
"You mean an orgasm?"
"You got it, stud."
Of course, those who'd been tracking the actor's career prior to "American Pie" were already
familiar with her sardonic charm, thanks largely to her breakout turn the year prior in the
classic indie comedy "Slums of Beverly Hills."
However, things have been a bit complicated in the years since "American Pie" for Lyonne,
with the actor's personal and professional life seeing plenty of ups and downs.
But even in spite of the struggles, Lyonne is perhaps the "Pie" star with the highest
batting average when the camera's rolling, stealing scenes in indie flicks such as "But
I'm a Cheerleader," "Die Mommy Die!", and "Ad Astra".
She's also appeared in television series like "New Girl," "Weeds", and all manner of projects
in between.
Lyonne is probably best known for her heartbreaking work on Netflix's prison dramedy "Orange is
the New Black" — a role that truly breathed new life into her career.
It came courtesy of a daring and skillful performance in the serio-comic series "Russian Doll."
Did somebody say "actors who've seen their share of ups and downs since their "American Pie" breakthrough?"
Because Sean William Scott has certainly seen his.
Scott made his big-screen debut in the film, turning what might've been little more than
a supporting turn as the token "teen movie jerk" into a career-defining triumph of cinematic smarm.
"No way!"
"Steve!
You can at least look at me when you say that."
In Scott's hands, Stifler was a teen movie jerk for the ages, with the actor indulging
in enough stilted attitude, boorish entitlement, and vulgar language to make a mean girl blush.
So good was Scott in the role — and in ensuing sequels — that it's safe to assume he'll
never fully break free from Stifler's surprisingly long shadow.
"Can I get a hallelujah?"
"Hallelujah, Stifler!"
That hasn't stopped him from trying, however.
The actor spent much of the 2000s on the verge of superstardom, appearing in numerous classic
comedies such as "Old School", "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "Road Trip".
But every time he seemed to take a step forward, there was another "Bulletproof Monk" or "Mr.
Woodcock" to knock him back two.
Personal demons eventually caught up with Scott, however, and save for 2011's misfit
hockey marvel "Goon," the 2010s were a rough stretch.
He's been on the rebound, though, with a return to the animated wilds of the "Ice Age" franchise,
a "Goon" sequel, and a starring role as a small-town minister on the Fox comedy "Welcome
to Flatch."
While "American Pie" broke a little ground in the teen sex comedy genre by giving the
ladies their due, it's still very much a film focused on the male characters.
That means there's a lot of objectification going on, and Shannon Elizabeth's foreign
exchange student, Nadia, is ground zero for most of it.
So much so that she doesn't have much dialogue in the film, and what she does have leans
heavily into the realm of male fantasy.
"I could change clothes at your place."
"Uh…yeah."
As it is, if "American Pie" were made today, it's possible Nadia wouldn't even be in it.
But she is, and if we're being completely honest, Shannon Elizabeth does her best to
make her more of an actual human being than the script ever bothers to.
Unfortunately, not many filmmakers have seen past her looks over the years, which means
there aren't many standout roles on her post-"Pie" resume.
She was, however, in Kevin Smith's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" and its recent sequel.
She also scored a recurring role on "That '70s Show", and she scored some laughs in
"Scary Movie."
Plus, she got to give Nadia some much-needed refining in the 2012 misfire "American Reunion."
Eddie Kaye Thomas showed legit comic chops as Paul Finch, a.k.a.
the wisdom-seeking know-it-all in "American Pie."
Thomas has more than kept himself busy in the years since Finch infamously did the pool
table mambo with Stifler's mom in the waning moments of the first film.
"Women, like a fine wine, only get better with age."
Like virtually all his co-stars, Thomas returned for three "American Pie" sequels.
He also landed a steady gig providing the high-pitched voice of comically-troubled teen
Barry — as well as various minor characters — in nearly 100 episodes of the long-running
animated comedy "American Dad!"
He featured prominently in the "Harold & Kumar" franchise as well.
But aside from those projects, there are a few near misses spotting his resumé — such
as "Til Death" and Tom Green's "Freddy Got Fingered".
Most famously, Kaye spent four years portraying Dr. Toby Quinn-Curtis, a super-genius crime-solver,
on the CBS crime procedural "Scorpion.
Older viewers who saw "American Pie" when it hit theaters in 1999 were likely already
familiar with Eugene Levy, who portrayed Jim's progressive and understanding-to-a-fault dad.
"Well, we'll just tell your mother uh, that we uh, that we ate it all."
An influential, major comedy star in the 1970s and early 1980s, Levy was an original, prominent
cast member on various "SCTV" late-night sketch shows produced in his native Canada.
This earned him supporting roles in several major '80s comedy movies, including "National
Lampoon's Vacation," "Splash," "Club Paradise," and "Armed and Dangerous."
After acting steadily in numerous little-heralded and little-watched projects, "American Pie"
proved to be a major comeback vehicle for Levy.
He would go on to appear in all the official "American Pie" sequels and even anchor three
direct-to-video raunchy comedies under the "American Pie Presents" banner.
Levy co-starred opposite Steve Martin in "Bringing Down the House," and alongside Samuel L. Jackson
in "The Man."
And he was a pivotal part of Christopher Guest's troupe of improv-adept comic actors in the
mockumentaries "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind," and "For Your Consideration."
But Levy's most recent success overshadows everything else, even "American Pie."
With his son, Dan Levy, he created the riches-to-rags Canadian sitcom "Schitt's Creek."
He starred as Johnny Rose, a role that won him an Emmy Award when "Schitt's Creek" swept
the comedy portion of the ceremony in 2020.
Aside from the original "Harold & Kumar" trailer, there aren't many reminders that John Cho
was in "American Pie."
"Newline Cinema presents that Asian guy from American Pie."
But whether you realize it or not, he's one of the reasons you know what a MILF is.
"M,I,L,F. Mom I'd like to f—-!"
"Yeah dude!"
John Cho was indeed one of the so-called "MILF guys" in "American Pie," though he also popped
up in a couple of "vocal jazz group" scenes.
While Cho would go on to a bigger role and actually be credited as John in subsequent
"American Pie" sequels, his "MILF" chanting moment in the original flick is likely the
first time most moviegoers took note of the actor.
His career has shifted dramatically in the years since, with Cho scoring a co-lead opposite
Kal Penn in the stoner cult-classic "Harold & Kumar" franchise.
He is also featured prominently in the recent "Star Trek" movies and landed charming one-off
turns in TV hits like "New Girl," and "How I Met Your Mother."
Most recently, however, Cho has made a name for himself on the indie scene via lauded
films like "Columbus," "Gemini," and "Searching."
He also played the iconic Spike Spiegel in the short-lived live-action reboot of the
anime classic "Cowboy Bebop".
When she appeared as an object of lust and desire — aka, Stifler's Mom — in "American
Pie," Jennifer Coolidge wasn't well known outside of comedy circles.
She'd appeared on the short-lived mid-'90s network sketch comedy show "She TV" and had
popped up in "Seinfeld" and "A Night at the Roxbury."
"What's up?"
"Not much.
Just giving you an eighty dollar ticket."
"She is so into you."
But "American Pie," along with Christopher Guest's 2000 semi-improvised mockumentary
"Best in Show," would provide Coolidge back-to-back career breaks.
Showcasing her skill at playing kooks, weirdos, and ditzes.
You most likely remember her role as the friendly manicurist and confidante Paulette in both
popular "Legally Blonde" movies.
She eventually re-teamed with Guest for "A Mighty Wind" and "For Your Consideration,"
while also reprising her role as Stifler's Mom in the "American Pie" sequels.
She portrayed Joey's agent on the "Friends" spinoff "Joey," joined the cast of "2 Broke
Girls," and earned rave reviews for her more dramatic work on the HBO vacation-from-hell
miniseries "The White Lotus."