A Few Words with Seann William Scott
He's one of the faces you'll see over and over again at the movies this summer.
Seann William Scott, 23, the actor with the chiseled chin and the doofus smile he patented for "Dude, Where's My Car?" and "American Pie," has a trio of flicks this summer: "Evolution," opening today, "American Pie 2" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back."
Scott spent the fall of 1999 in Atlanta and Athens filming "Road Trip" with Tom Green and a lot of college student extras. He distills the state into two words: "Georgia rocks!" He liked the Buckhead bars and how you can walk from place to place. He also liked the view.
"The hottest girls I think I've ever seen are in Atlanta," Scott says by phone from Los Angeles, where he lives near the Hollywood Hills. "I dig that Southern charm. They're pretty without acting like they know it."
Guess he broke a lot of hearts? "Not enough," he says.
Here's what's up with Scott:
The latest role: He plays the wannabe fireman Wayne Green in "Evolution," a sci-fi comedy with David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Julianne Moore and a gaggle of grotesque aliens (each as ugly as Rodney Dangerfield) threatening planet Earth.
Yes, that's him singing: In a movie first, Scott warbles "You Are So Beautiful" to a flying extraterrestrial. "I can actually sing OK, but it works better if Wayne isn't a very good singer," Scott says. So he just went with it.
He must be doing something right: To date, Scott's four movies have made a total of more than $270 million (and all four together cost only $62.6 million to make). The breakdown: "American Pie" ($101.8 million), "Road Trip" ($68.5 million), "Final Destination" ($53.3 million) and "Dude, Where's My Car?" ($46.7 million).
What you might not know: Scott was voted homecoming king at his high school in Minnesota. "I was lucky enough to have a lot of cool friends." He played football (running back), basketball and baseball.
College? No way. Well, he did attend one semester at a community college after he left Minnesota for Los Angeles.
His favorite Kevin Smith flick: "Clerks." Makes sense. While struggling to become an actor, Scott sold food at the zoo and worked as a cart boy at Home Depot (where he was promoted to the plumbing department, we might add).
Acting for Kevin Smith: Scott has a cameo role in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back." "I was so honored. My cameo's only two scenes long, and I kind of played it inward and weird. With a wig and braces. I don't know much about the story." And, contrary to the listing posted on the Internet Movie Database, Scott is not appearing in the film as Steve Stifler.
But Stifler does return: The whole "American Pie" gang is back for the sequel, which debuts in August. "Most of the kids were contractually obligated to do another one. I didn't have to, though. I was hesitant. But the script is awesome. And I wanted to be with the guys again." He also got a big raise in salary. Scott says Stifler isn't too different in "Pie 2." "But he's pretty much crazier. He does relate to the other guys a little more."
And what was this hesitation about "Pie 2"? "Sequels just sorta suck. But I think this one has the potential to be big."
The coming drama: Scott's pumped about his first drama. It's a rave/bank heist flick from the producers of "Memento" and "The Mexican" that's expected to be filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia. "I play a grifter who organizes a bank heist and uses a rave as a diversion." The film, he says, involves Irish mobsters. "It'll have kind of a 'Snatch' vibe and a 'Fight Club' feel. Really dark. Really cool."
