Early success with the smash teen comedy “American Pie” (1999) and the Academy Award-winning Best Drama “American Beauty” (1999) took young adult and former teen model Mena Suvari by surprise. A 20-year-old acting novice with only a few guest television spots under her belt, Suvari suddenly had Hollywood’s attention virtually overnight, though she struggled a bit to find her way amongst offers of mainstream comedies and the darker, more offbeat independent films. Her onscreen performances belied any self-doubt, and over the following decade, the actress gave confident performances in several
