Election

Background:

American actor Chris Klein is well-known for portraying class-president candidate Paul Metzler in the dark comedy Election (1999) and as likable high-school jock Chris “Oz” Ostreicher in the popular teenage sex comedy American Pie (1999), in which he received a Chicago Film Critics Association nomination.

Recipient of the Young Hollywood Award for Superstar of Tomorrow (2001), Klein keeps on trying to impress audiences by playing roles in such movies as the romance Here on Earth (2000), the comedy Say It Isn’t So (2001), the action Rollerball (2002), the war-themed film We Were Soldier (2002) and the drama The United States of Leland (2003).

Recently starring in Pat Holden’s comedy The Long Weekend (2005) and costarring in the mainstream comedy Just Friends (2005), Klein is set to take on roles in the forthcoming action-thriller Expats (2005), Jason Wiles’ drama Lenexa, 1 Mile (2006), director Paul Weitz‘ American Comedy (2006) and The Valley of Light (2006, TV).

Off screen, Klein is a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He was arrested for drunk driving in February 2005 and was fined $1,800 and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service three months later.

“I look back on Katie and my time with her with a great fondness. The opportunities that we had to be together, to be in love and grow together, are something that I will always cherish, and I know she will too.” Chris Klein on his relationship with Katie Holmes

As for his romantic life, brown-haired and handsome Klein is known for his five-year relationship with actress Katie Holmes, who is now engaged to superstar Tom Cruise. Klein proposed to his longtime girlfriend Holmes in 2004, but they called off the engagement early 2005. Shortly after the break up, she began a new romance with Cruise.

“Her being with Tom has nothing to do with her and I discontinuing our relationship.” Chris Klein


Mr. Millard West

Childhood and Family:

Born on March 14, 1979, Chris Frederick Klein spent his childhood in Hinsdale, Illinois, before moving with family to Nebraska at age 13. His father is Fred Klein, an engineer, and his mother is Terese Klein, a school teacher. Chris’ older sister is Debbie (born in 1978) and Tim is his younger brother, who is three years his junior.

As a child, Chris had his first onstage experience by singing “This Little Light of Mine” in a community theater at the Sheraton Convention Center in Chicago. He was educated at the Millard West High School and was named “Most Likely To Be Famous” by his high school peers. As for acting, he took part in a school play titled “West Side Story,” in which he was cast as Tony. Chris could also handle himself on the football field and did double duty as quarterback and linebacker for his school team. At age 16, he joined the school’s male beauty pageant contest and was crowned Mr. Millard West. It was also in high school that Chris got his first opportunity to begin his film career. Upon graduation, he majored in Dramatic Arts at the Texas Christian University, but later dropped out of college to pursue acting more professionally.

Off screen, Chris is a devout Christian. His hobbies include outdoors activities, playing video games, as well as reading. His favorite books are Slaughterhouse-Five, The Sun Also Rises, and The Hobbit, among others.


American Pie

Career:

Chris Klein kicked off his film career in 1999 when director Alexander Payne landed Klein the role of Paul Metzler, the naïve but sweet and popular football player swayed by his teacher (Matthew Broderick) to run against the overachieving Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) for class president in the sardonic high school-set comedy Election. Giving a fine performance as the least nasty character in the film, Klein received positive reviews and his performance was associated by many film critics to Keanu Reeves' appealing early performances. Klein was spotted by Payne in his high school lobby while the director was surveying locations for Election.

Shortly after, the young performer scored a hit with a costarring role, opposite Jason Biggs, in the shockingly insightful teen sex comedy American Pie (1999). Under the direction of Paul Weitz, Klein offered a nice turn as lacrosse player Chris “Oz” Ostreicher who tries to impress girls by joining a choir. His good effort proved fruitful as Klein earned a nomination with the Chicago Film Critics Association for Most Promising Actor.

Following the success of The Adam Herz-scripted film, Klein decided to leave college to concentrate on acting. He was seen starring alongside Leelee Sobieski in the love story Here on Earth (2000), before playing a sweet-natured guy who is love struck with a girl he mistakenly comes to think of as his sister in the low-brow, incest-themed comedy Say It Isn’t So (2001). Klein next reprised his character of amiably dim high-school jock Chris “Oz” Ostreicher for the sequel American Pie 2 (2001). The same year, he was honored with a Young Hollywood for Superstar of Tomorrow.

His increasing status was further established when he won the lead role of Jonathan Cross in the remake of the 1970s actioner Rollerball (2002). To promote the film, alongside Rollerball costar LL Cool J, Klein appeared on World Wrestling Federation programming. Also in 2002, he was featured in the Vietnam-era drama We Were Soldier, starring Mel Gibson and Madeleine Stowe. He then costarred opposite Ryan Gosling and Don Cheadle in the crime/drama The United States of Leland (2003).

During 2004, Klein kept busy appearing on several talk shows on television. He was invited on “On-Air with Ryan Seacrest,” “Late Night with Conan O'Brien” and “The Sharon Osbourne Show.” He also appeared in “Punk’d,” in which Ashton Kutcher tricked him into believing that his home had been detained by a terrorist

Recently, the actor made his comeback to filmmaking by making a cameo as customer no. 2 in the short drama Tilt-A-Whirl (2005). He then took the starring role of Cooper, opposite Brendan Fehr, for director Pat Holden’s comedy film The Long Weekend (2005). Chris also teamed up with Ryan Reynolds and Amy Smart in the mainstream romantic comedy Just Friends (2005).

Klein will soon star with Kelly Hu and John Cho for the action-thriller Expats (2005) and appear in the drama Lenexa, 1 Mile (2006), directed by Jason Wiles. Klein is also teamed with American Pie director Paul Weitz for his upcoming satire American Comedy (2006) and is scheduled to make his TV movie debut with The Valley of Light (2006), starring Robert Prosky and Angela Paton.


Awards:

• Young Hollywood: Superstar of Tomorrow–Male, 2001