American Pie

Background:

“I was covered in pie. Pie just got everywhere, down my . . . I was just like, ‘Oh my God!’” Jason Biggs

American actor Jason Biggs obtained overnight fame and wide recognition for his portrayal of sexually naïve Jim, one of the more perpetually embarrassed members of a group of four friends attempting to lose their virginity by high-school graduation, in the hilarious comedy hit series, American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003). Due to his brilliant performance, he took home a 2000 MTV Movie Award and was nominated for Breakthrough Male Performance and for Best Comedic Performance at the MTV Movie Awards in 2000. Biggs went on to dot his impressive resume with such films as the comedy-romance Boys and Girls (2000), the comedy Loser (2000), the well-liked teen flick Saving Silverman (2001) and Prozac Nation (2001). Fans can also catch him in Saul Metzstein’s black comedy Guy X (2005), the adventure Eight Below (2006) and Michael Ian Black’s comedy The Pleasure of Your Company (2006).

On the small screen, he gained notice while playing troubled Pete Wendall on the daytime soap opera “As the World Turns” (1994-1995). His fine acting earned the actor a Daytime Emmy nomination.

In an interview on October 6, 2005, brown-eyed, good looking Biggs, who earned $1,000,000 for American Pie (1999) and $2,000,000 for American Pie 2 (2001), implied there may be a fourth sequel of the American Pie movies, but not for a few years although he disclosed producers have already discussed the idea of an American Baby. Commenting about it, the actor said, “It didn’t happen, which is right because it would have been too soon. I think it’d be fun to see how those characters had matured ten years down the line, a kind of Big Chill’ for our generation kind of thing. Let’s get real; American Divorce is a more likely scenario.”


The Pie Guy

Childhood and Family:

Pompton Plains, New Jersey native Jason M. Biggs was born on May 12, 1978, to parents Gary Biggs, a shipping company executive, and Angela Biggs, a nurse. The middle son of three siblings, Jason has two sisters, Heather (older, a tax specialist who was born in 1971) and Chiara (younger born in 1980). All the children were raised in the community of Hasbrouk Heights.

Always enjoying being the center of attention, young Jason discovered a love for acting. By the age of 5, Jason had entered the showbiz industry as a model for television commercials and print ads. At age 13, he moved to Los Angeles with his mother to give acting a try, but soon returned to his hometown due to a career disappointment. In 1996, Jason graduated from Hasbrouck Heights Senior High School and briefly attended New York University and Montclaire State University. After only a semester, however, he left his studies and decided to pursue acting again.

Of Italian origin, 5’11” Jason, whose nickname is The Pie Guy, is an ardent snowboarder and mountain bike aficionado. In his free time, the young actor also enjoys running and hanging out in his three-bedroom Santa Monica apartment.


As the World Turns

Career:

Jason Biggs was introduced to the entertainment world at a very young age. Taken by his mom to modeling auditions from the tender age of 5, Biggs’ curly hair and outgoing personality soon won him modeling gigs for catalogs, print ads and television commercials. By the time he was 13, Biggs landed his first real acting job as Robert in Juan José Campanella’s drama The Boy Who Cried Bitch (1991, starring Harley Cross and Karen Young). That same year, he headed for Los Angeles in hopes of finding more opportunities to boost his career. Biggs quickly made his television debut as Willie Trancas in the short-lived sitcom “Drexell’s Class” (1991) but was soon back home following the cancellation of the show.

Not long after returning home, Biggs debuted on Broadway by starring as Judd Hirsch’s son in the acclaimed play “Conversations with My Father.” Delivering a fine performance, the young actor won praise and a number of positive reviews. The success brought him back to television when he was cast as bothered teen Pete Wendall on the daytime soap opera “As the World Turns” (1994-1995). During his one-year tenure, Biggs received a nomination for Best Younger Actor in a Drama Series at the Daytime Emmys.

Upon high school graduation in 1996, Biggs took some time off to briefly attend college, but he soon returned to acting. In 1997, Biggs received the recurring role of Robbie Rosenfeld in the Fox’s series “Total Security.” Unfortunately, the show was also quickly axed. The same year, Biggs had a chance to appear in his second big screen film, Camp Stories (1997). The Herbert Beigel-directed comedy film starred Elliott Gould, Jerry Stiller and Paul Sand.

“When I read the script, it was really explicit and I’ve never laughed so hard in my entire life. I didn’t really have any reservations. I figured at the very least, people will say, ‘Wow, that’s brave of him for doing that.’” Jason Biggs on his role in American Pie

Biggs’ big breakthrough arrived two years later when director Paul Weitz cast him in the starring role of sexually naive Jim Levenstein in his hit teen sexual comedy American Pie (1999). The result was amazing. His brilliant performance made both the audiences and critics take notice of the new performer. By the year 2000, Biggs’ memorable role had handed him a MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (shared with Sean William Scott), as well as earned him MTV Movie nominations for Breakthrough Male Performance and for Best Comedic Performance.

“Jason was so believable. There’s a lot of realism to his performance.” American Pie director Paul Weitz

The massive victory opened up opportunities to choose roles and scripts. He next costarred opposite Freddie Prinze Jr. and Claire Forlani in Robert Iscove’s romantic comedy Boys and Girls (2000), in which he played a sex-obsessed collage student named Hunter/Steve. Biggs then starred as a social misfit who falls for an unachievable girl (Pie co-star Mena Suvari) in Amy Heckerling’s charming comedy Loser (2000).

He further increased his performances in the following year with three movies. He costarred in the popular teen flick Saving Silverman (2001), alongside comics actors Steve Zahn, Jack Black and Amanda Peet. Biggs next returned to his role of the clumsy, post-adolescent Jim for American Pie 2 (2001). Providing better jokes and storyline, the film received a bigger victory than its predecessor. He followed that up with his first dramatic lead, opposite Christina Ricci, in the wide-screen adaptation of Elizabeth Wurtzel’s memoir Prozac Nation (2001).

Biggs revisited the stage in 2002 by playing the lead of Benjamin Braddock in the Broadway revival of “The Graduate,” before rejoining the cast of American Pie for its next sequel, American Wedding (2003). Also in 2003, he reunited with Christina Ricci for Woody Allen’s comedy Anything Else (2003). In the following year, Biggs portrayed the small role of Arthur Brickman in Kevin Smith’s comedy Jersey Girl (2004, opposite Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez). The film, however, was overwhelmed by mocking reviews and the stigma of being a “Bennifer” dud. In late 2004, he was seen on stage starring as an Orthodox Jew in Daniel Goldfarb’s comedy “Modern Orthodox” at the Dodger Stages Theater in New York.

Recently, the 27-year-old actor worked with director Saul Metzstein for his comedy Guy X (2005), in which Biggs was cast as a victim of wrong identity deposited on an American army base in Greenland. The film also starred Natascha McElhone, Jeremy Northam and Michael Ironside.

Biggs will soon play a role opposite Paul Walker and Bruce Greenwood in Frank Marshall’s Eight Below (2006) and is set to star with Isla Fisher in Michael Ian Black’s upcoming project, The Pleasure of Your Company (2006).


Awards:

• MTV Movie: Best Kiss, shared with Sean William Scott, American Pie 2, 2002