hile she is best known for her parts in American Beauty and American Pie, actress Mena Suvari is striving to make a name for herself with a screen role that doesn’t involve pompons or high-school humor. Not only is she rebounding from the dissolution of her marriage to cinematographer Robert Brinkmann (who was 18 years older), but Suvari, 26, is also maturing both personally and professionally. Next month, Mena is co-starring in Rumor Has It, the Rob Reiner-directed film with Jennifer Aniston, Mark Ruffalo and Shirley MacLaine slated for a December 25th release. She has also been involved in a handful of smaller films such as Edmond, Brooklyn Rules and Caffeine, giving this prolific starlet credibility in the independent-filmmaking community. Additionally, Suvari also appears in Domino, which opened in October, based on the true story of Domino Harvey, a Ford model-turned-bounty hunter. Although the Tony Scott flick (which stars Keira Knightley in the titular role) takes liberties with Domino’s life (who passed away last summer from an overdose of painkillers), it is still a poignant tale of sex, drugs and fame. For the project, Suvari mingled with an eclectic cast that includes Mickey Rourke, Dabney Coleman, Lucy Liu, Christopher Walken and Jacqueline Bisset. All in all, it has been a busy professional year for Suvari.
Not that anyone is questioning her acting chops: Suvari has been working steadily on television and the big screen since she was 15 years old. But instead of falling into the teen-actress curse that befell many of her American Pie co-stars (paging Shannon Elizabeth and Natasha Lyonne), this former model is looking for stability in her life. Mena recently purchased a $1.7 million home in the same Los Angeles neighborhood as Julia Roberts. More significantly, in the wake of her divorce, she is conquering her fears, appreciating the finer points of life and becoming a poker expert in Vegas.

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OCEAN DRIVE: Tell me about your big new release, Rumor Has It, which is a fun riff on The Graduate.

MENA SUVARI: It’s very different. It’s a dramedy. I play Annie, Jennifer Aniston’s sister. We’re from Pasadena and Jennifer’s character, Sarah, comes home for my wedding. She starts to believe that our family was the basis for the story of The Graduate.

Rob Reiner came on board midway through the making of the movie. How did that change the process?

We started over and it changed a lot. It became much more of a Rob Reiner film. He’s a legend. He’s so good at doing these kinds of films. And it was a lot of fun. Annie is an all-over-the-place character. She is the relative you can’t stand in the family, the person who knows no bounds. She’s always in your face. It’s exhaustive energy.

I know those relatives.

I was shooting one scene and I actually hated Annie. She’s so annoying. But there’s this nice arc with her where she has this emotional experience. She comes back down to earth, bonds with her sister and learns more about herself. She comes full circle in the end.

What was it like working with Jennifer Aniston?

Great. She’s so sweet and beautiful. It was an honor to play her sister. She was very friendly.

You also have a movie called Edmond.

That’s also coming out in December. I worked on that earlier this year. It’s a David Mamet play that they finally made into a film. It’s very dark and edgy.

You play a hooker?

Yes, it follows this guy, William H. Macy, who leaves his wife and starts out on this journey. He meets all these crazy people. It doesn’t end up very positive. I play the prostitute and we haggle over money. It’s very much a David Mamet movie.

Are you balancing your career between independent movies and blockbusters?

It’s about the work for me. Whatever comes to me, I look at the material first.

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Do fans approach you more for American Pie or American Beauty?

It’s not one or the other. People recognize me from both.

You also co-star in Domino.

Domino Harvey was a model who became a bounty hunter, which was pretty profound at the time—that a young, beautiful woman would get into a field like that. She led a very interesting life. I play Kimmie, who works for a TV agency. I work with Christopher Walken, who plays my boss, and we come up with the idea to create this show called ‘Bounty Squad,’ where we follow Domino and her gang around. It’s a reality show, like a Cops kind of thing. It’s a really wacky idea we have to make Domino a star.

Was Domino involved in the project before she passed away?

I saw her on the set a couple times. She was very close to our director, Tony Scott. Tony wanted to make this movie about her for a long time.

Cinematically, the movie looks great.

It’s really wild. It’s a Tony Scott film, and he does his own thing. He has vision. He’s such an amazing director to work with. He brings so much energy to the set. It’s a visual ride. It’s so fast-paced and unexpected, yet it’s really engaging.

You are involved in an antismoking campaign. Why did you link up with this cause?
It’s important to me. I was a smoker in the past—not a heavy one, though. I’ve come around and changed my life. And I had someone very close to me pass away from lung cancer. I don’t support smoking. It’s bad for you. I’m always happy to help out and lend myself to any good cause.

I hear that you are a great poker player and often donate your winnings to charity.

I play a lot of poker. And now that there is increased interest in it, many charities are having these poker nights. The money goes to the charity of your choice. It’s a win-win situation. Last year I attended a bunch of poker events, like the Bravo Celebrity Poker game. You get $10,000 for your charity.

When did you start playing poker?

A couple of years ago. I was working on a film called Sonny that Nicolas Cage directed. We were in New Orleans and I started hanging out in the casinos playing Seven Card Stud. Then I learned Texas Hold ’Em. Simultaneously, poker started to take off. It’s really big. I play as much as I can

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Can actors bluff better by trade?

I don’t know. It depends on the person. It has been interesting and somewhat of a challenge. I’m not only a woman, but I’m also petite and look young. People think they can sum you up by how you look and try to take you for a ride. But you learn how to use that. There aren’t that many professional female players. It has been a man’s game.

Is poker just a fad?

Nothing is here to stay. It has been around for a long time. But once the celebrities started to get into it, people followed that. But it won’t stay constant like this forever.

You recently filed for divorce. What is the status of that?

It’s pending. It’s not concrete yet.

Is it hard to stay married in Hollywood?

I don’t know. I’m not one to talk. It just didn’t work out for me.

Aside from poker, what else makes your heart race? Are you a thrill seeker?

I’m not addicted to that. At this point in my life, I want to experience more. I want to feel alive and get over my fears. I realize I’m only 26 and there’s a lot I want to do. There’s a lot that I’m passionate about. It’s a reflective time for me.

What are some of those fears you want to beat?

A few months ago, I went scuba diving. I was always afraid of the water, but it was great. I was really proud of myself that I did it. It’s about trying to overcome these hurdles and bettering myself. And getting to know myself better. It’s doing something because I can and I should. I don’t want to hold back anymore.

Twenty-six is very young, especially to have the success you do.

Yet I don’t feel very young.

You started acting when you were 15. Is this something you always wanted to pursue?

Honestly, no. I never was the kind of child who said I had to be an actor. I was interested in so many things; it never really crossed my mind. I fell into it: I started modeling first and the agency I was with had a commercial division. So I started acting. It was something to do on the side. When I graduated from high school, I started to take it seriously. I worked on American Pie and American Beauty and never made it to college. The more that I kept doing it, the more I learned about the business. There are aspects I love and aspects that I dislike. But it has always been about the material, collaborative effort and final product. It has never been about fame or status.

So you don’t care if you’re on the pages of US Weekly?

No. Frankly, I don’t understand that magazine. I don’t read it normally. When I go to the newsstand, I pick up Dwell, National Geographic and Town & Country. But if those gossip magazines are around and you start looking at them, you can’t stop. You pick it up and can’t put it down. I have this weird relationship with them. It’s like a traffic accident—you can’t not look.

Do you find yourself in the tabloids?

Yeah. You just laugh. It’s weird, though, especially when I left my husband. One of my best friends is a lesbian and I’m hanging out with her and all of the sudden I’m a lesbian. It’s so preposterous. It fascinates me how desperate people are to label you. I don’t care what people think about me anymore. I’ve had so many years in this business trying to be a certain way, win people over and prove myself. It’s hard because so much of this business is about that. It’s, Hire me, like me and let me be the one. At this point I’m over it. I’m going to be me and figure out who that person is. Whatever happens happens. There’s so much more in life that is important. That doesn’t validate me in any way.

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Which actors do you admire?

Right now, I’m all about Angelina Jolie. She’s absolutely stunning and gorgeous. I love the energy she has and all the things she has done. She’s so powerful and assertive. She’s a strong woman, and I admire that so much. She works really hard. She’s aware of her impact and what’s important to her. She has things in perspective. I look up to that.

Are you a fashion girl? Who are some of your favorite designers?

Favorites don’t work for me. I have phases. Right now I love Alice + Olivia. One of my good friends, Stacey Bendet, designs the line. The new collection is so beautiful.

Is fashion something you would pursue?

I thought about it but it’s an all-consuming industry. It’s hard. But it would be fun if you could partner up with somebody.

Are you a creative person?

Yeah, I love painting and photography. But when you get into the business aspect of it, it’s no longer fun.

Styled by Jessica Paster/magnetla.com.
Hair by Jonathon Hanosek/Exclusive
Artists Management.
Makeup by Garret Gervais/MS Management