Mena Alexandra Suvari Bio

Mena Alexandra (born 13 February 1979 in New York) is an American actress and fashion designer. After beginning her career as a model then she moved into acting after appearing in guest roles on television shows like Boy Meets World and High Incident. In 1997 she made her feature film debut on the dramatic Nowhere. She began her transition into major roles with her performances in American Beauty, for which she was nominated for an BAFTA Award, and American Pie and American Pie, both of which attracted the attention of the public. She has also appeared in Loser (2000) alongside Jason Biggs, her American Pie co-star. In the following years, she was the main character in Sugar & Spice (2001). She appeared in Spun, an independent drama, as well as Trauma, a film that is a thriller. In 2004, she was nominated for the Outstanding Cast Award at the 2005 Screen Actors Guild Awards. In 2008, she was featured in a string of films that included Day of the Dead, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, and the film adaptation of The Garden of Eden. Suvari is the model for Lancome cosmetics and print ads for Lancome Paris Adaptive, and has been featured in several fashion blogs and magazines , such as Vogue. Suvari is a long-time donor and advocate for the renowned African relief organization called the African Medical and Research Foundation. She is actively involved in the female empowerment issue and is involved with charities whose cause it is, breast cancer, and the "End Violence against Women Campaign".