There was not really that one big break out star from this series of films.
Pretty much, if you weren’t somewhat successful before, you typically didn’t make it big afterwards.
There have been some small successes, but it seems like filmgoers didn’t embrace the cast.
Everyone thought Jason Biggs was going to be the next big thing, but apparently no one could get past the visual of his ass thrusting into an Apple Pie.
Chris Klein didn’t fare very well. Tara Reid? Wow.
Allyson Hannigan has a regular series, but she was already building a fan base with Buffy.
Other than her, the only people doing much these days are Eugene Levy (who was already a known commodity) and Sean William Scott (who I thought was going to hit, but seems to be heading down hill).
I guess some of them are working actors. But no superstar came from this. Kind of surprising given the predictions at the time.
Sean William Scott did okay for a little while after American Pie. He was in Road Trip which was a pretty good movie for what it attempted to do. But he’s nowhere to be found really. I’m guessing his latest “Mr Woodcock” is probably going to be as close as he gets to stardom. It’s funny how it works though. They serve up a Sean William Scott comedy, and the crowds for whatever reason don’t respond. He just doesn’t have “it.”
Seann William Scott (Nitpick: He has two Ns in Seann) is in something just out with John C. Reilly called The Promotion. Ebert didn’t like it very much.
Scott was good with The Rock in The Rundown. His imdb.com entry shows he’s in something else out and three others in post-production. Seems to be working steady, and I guess if you’re an actor and not waiting tables, that’s good.
Amazingly, the wife and I have yet to see any of the American Pie films, although I like Scott in other stuff I’ve seen. I’ve been led to understand that this is a cultural short-coming of mine. Will have to pick them up sometime.
I worked at a Waldenbooks around the beginning of 2000 and I recall seeing a small book, titled something like “Jason Biggs: The Next Teen Superstar”. Even at the time I knew it was a joke.
Wish I could find it on Amazon, but no luck, sadly.
Seann William Scott. 30 entries in IMDB in 12 years, including three in production or post-production. Not bad at all. Maybe not Big Star ™, but definitely working strong.
His other most famous role, Marty McFly, had little in common with Keaton other than he was a middle-class teenager played by Michael J. Fox. Casualties of War was no Family Ties, either.
And anyone who thinks Chris Klein hasn’t fared well is using a much more demanding definition of success than most actors would.
I loved The Promotion. Seann William Scott was really good, especially since his character was much more mellow than the usual over the top stonerish type characters he usually plays. John C. Reilly was also hilarious, but that can just usually be assumed.
Overall, I would say it wasn’t a “you have to go see this movie now” type movie, but it’s definitely one I would recommend if it’s at your theater and you were wanting to go out to the movies.
Many of them are still working actors. Chris Klein, though, was bandied about as one of the breakout stars. But if Say It Isn’t So, a romantic comedy about possible incest, didn’t kill his leading man status, Here on Earth did!
If you’d left it at “didn’t really make it big” I’d have no argument, but to me “not a leading man” doesn’t equal “didn’t fare very well.” Averaging more than 2 major roles per year is faring better than 99% of SAG members, not to mention the even greater number of actors who are struggling just to get into the union. And don’t forget that he was the lead in a TV series this year. No, it didn’t go anywhere, but to even be considered for the role showed that some people still considered him a bankable property as recently as 2007. And according to IMDb, he has roles in four upcoming films. I don’t know if any of them are going to be big movies, but as long as he’s making movies at all, I wouldn’t rule anything out. Many people wrote John Travolta off before “Look Who’s Talking,” and again before “Pulp Fiction.” (The Simpsons had a washed-up Travolta tending bar in a retro-'70s club.)
I’m not a Chris Klein fan at all, but it seems to me a lot of people don’t realize how remarkable it is simply to make a steady living as an actor, much less continue to be offered lead roles.
Nobody is saying that these actors “haven’t fared well.” For most of them, it’s just the opposite. They’re working steadily and building solid careers.
But I totally agree that it’s surprising that none of them have broken out and become a Name-Above-The-Title star by now.
Come to think of it, maybe one of the things that made American Pie so appealing is that the cast wasn’t filled with leading-man (and lady) types. They were all sort of quirky and maybe a little funny looking. Maybe that’s why we could empathize with them so well. I mean, American Pie is more than a gross-out teen comedy, after all.
Anyway, I also liked Seann William Scott in The Rundown and Bulletproof Monk and the Dukes of Hazzard…Maybe he’s better in an ensemble or as a sidekick or something.
He specifically said that none of them have become “superstars.”
None of them have become household names.
None of them (as I said before) would tend to have their name above the title of the movie.
None of them are of the echelon where you’d likely say “hey, I’m going to see the new ActorX movie.”
And what does John Travolta have to do with anything? There’s a big difference between someone who went from being a sensation to a has-been to a steadily bankable star and a member of a promising ensemble cast who hasn’t become a huge star.
I disagree with the premise that people expected huge stars to come from that franchise. I think it’s arced pretty much exactly as suspected. Several of the actors have become very successful character actors as a result and the fact that it was an ensemble didn’t make me think that a superstar was likely to come from it.
Seann William Scott has had a very successful film career, sharing top billing in several movies.
Allyson Hannigan stars in one of the top Sit-Coms on TV right now and there are no signs of that slowing down.
Chris Klein has had several starring roles in comedies and is still starring in feature films. His star has slipped some but I’m sure he could get plenty of TV work if he weren’t focusing on films.
Shannon Elizabeth is still hot and considering she was a nobody when that movie came out she’s made it big considering she’s nothing but a piece of ass.
Eddie Kaye Thomas has been in a lot of successful TV shows and is currently starring in 'Til Death.
Mena Suvari was a huge name for a decent stretch after American Pie and American Beauty and has been consistently making movies, starring in several indy projects.
John Cho ironically might have had the biggest career from that movie and looks like he’s going to establish himself as a veritable “that guy” when a Asian American role comes up. The Harold and Kumar franchise might be as big as American Pie when it’s all said and done.
And let’s not forget Jennifer Coolidge, Stifler’s mom, who has been everywhere since that movie came out.
I think the entire OP is based on the fact that Jason Biggs hasn’t done much of merit outside the series. He’s still working and starring in small roles, but he’s probably a smaller star than many other cast members. I’m not sure that many people seriously thought that Biggs would be a monster success and anyone who said it in 2001 was probably doing his publicist a favor. If you dismiss the idea that Biggs was supposed to be the next Tom Hanks then when you look at the rest of the success stories I’d say it’s as successful as any ensemble in the last couple decades as far as uncovering stars.
It’s because none of them can really act - they’re just pretty faces. And if you’ve seen her lately, Tara Reid is smoking and drinking her way out of that category…