Mena Suvari  Mena Alexandra Suvari (; born February 13, 1979) is an American actress, fashion designer, and model. After beginning her career as a model and guest-starring in several television series, she made her film debut in the drama "Nowhere" (1997). Suvari rose to international prominence for her roles in the 1999 film "American Beauty", for which she received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and in three of the "American Pie" original films (1999–2001, 2012). Her other notable films include "Slums of Beverly Hills" (1998), "Loser" (2000), "Sugar & Spice" (2001), "Rumor Has It" (2005), "Stuck" (2007), and "You May Not Kiss the Bride" (2010). Suvari played recurring roles in the fourth season of HBO drama series "Six Feet Under" (2004), garnering a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series, and in the second season of "Chicago Fire" (2013). She also portrayed Elizabeth Short in the anthology series "" and reprised the role in "" and starred in the eight-episode series "South of Hell" (2015). Suvari has been a model for Lancôme cosmetics and print ads for Lancôme Paris Adaptîve, as well as a long-time supporter and activist for the Starlight Children's Foundation and the African Medical and Research Foundation. Suvari was born in Newport, Rhode Island on February 13, 1979, the daughter of nurse Candice and psychiatrist Ando Suvari. Her mother is of Greek descent, while her father was an Estonian from Pärnu. She has three older brothers: AJ, Sulev, and Jüri. Suvari began modeling with Millie Lewis Models and Talent as a preteen and soon after appeared in a Rice-A-Roni commercial. The family later relocated to Charleston, South Carolina, where her brothers attended The Citadel. Suvari was considering 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. Suvari relocated to California and attended Providence High School in Burbank, graduating in 1997. Suvari began acting with guest appearances in television series such as "Boy Meets World" and "ER" at the ages of 15 and 16, respectively.