If you were a movie fan in the late nineties or a fan of pop culture and entertainment from the nineties, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with or at least heard of Seann William Scott. Although a thing of the past by today’s standards, screwball comedies were everywhere during the mid and especially late nineties. With films like Dumb and Dumber, Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (yes, that is a real movie), The Waterboy, and Half Baked, it’s safe to say the filmmakers and movie studios were very open-minded about the types of films they were willing to make and distribute. Out of all the different types of comedies released before the New Millennium, Paul Weitz’s 1999 coming-of-age teen sex comedy American Pie is one of the most famous and successful.
Known for its raunchy comedy, lovable cast, and ridiculous plot, American Pie would be the first of four films in a franchise that would gross nearly a billion dollars as of this writing. If there’s one character in the franchise who resonated with audiences, it would be Scott as the charming jock, Steve Stifler. Even with a starring role in the successful comedy and a string of roles in other successful films, Scott’s star seems to have faded through the years.
Despite how things appear, Scott has remained busy since American Pie, and with rumors of a fifth American Pie in the works, we hope to see the cast, especially Stifler, on the big screen or streaming services soon. In the meantime, this article will examine what everyone’s favorite late-nineties jock has been up to recently.
Who Is Seann William Scott?
Seann William Scott is an American actor primarily known for his charming onscreen presence and starring or supporting roles in comedies. Scott’s career began in 1996 as Moondoggie in an episode of the American sitcom, Unhappily Ever After. He would swiftly follow this role up with an appearance in Aerosmith’s Hole In My Soul music video as a football player before making his film debut in the television film, Born Into Exile.
His cartoonish smile and All-American good looks helped him secure the role of Steve Stifler in 1999’s American Pie, the character he is perhaps most famous for to this day, and the actor’s career and popularity would skyrocket over the next few years. The year 2000 would see Scott star in the road sex comedy Road Trip, the supernatural horror film Final Destination, and the cult classic stoner comedy Dude, Where’s My Car? With the exception of Final Destination, these releases would help solidify Scott as one of the most prominent comedic actors of the late nineties/early aughts.
Typecasting Seann William Scott
Despite Scott’s newfound success and popularity, his career would suffer from typecasting as Hollywood only seemed interested in hiring the actor as the goofy sidekick or the lead in yet another quirky comedy. For readers unfamiliar with typecasting, it refers to a situation where an actor is constantly cast as a specific type of character or in certain types of movies. In Scott’s case, he is often the lovable idiot in most of his films.
Typecasting an actor is a double-edged sword, as actors like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger have benefited immensely from being cast as tough guys throughout their careers. Then there are actors like Scott, who most people today would either recognize from Pie or not at all despite boasting a twenty-plus-year career in Hollywood.
However, Scott seems aware of Hollywood’s desire to see him as a goofball, as he addressed the issue in 2017 by saying he “doesn’t care” about being typecast. Considering Scott played Stifler four times as of this writing and has delivered exceptional performances in other outlandish comedies like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Bulletproof Monk alongside Chow Yun-fat, The Rundown, The Dukes of Hazard film adaptation, and the Ice Age franchise, we’re inclined to agree with his comment.
Seann William Scott’s Departure From Comedy
Despite Scott’s declaration of being unbothered by typecasting, audiences have seen the actor in dramatic roles in films ranging from the dramatic to the horrific. The earliest example of Scott’s work outside of comedy post-American Pie was in James Wong’s 2000 supernatural horror Final Destination as the nerdy and perpetually afraid Billy Hitchcock. Scott would also star in 2007’s Trainwreck: My Life as an Idiot, Just Before I Go, Bloodline, Already Gone, and 2023’s The Wrath of Becky as the film’s antagonist.
Even though none of the listed films performed exceedingly well, Scott’s performances in the projects received praise from critics and long-time fans. Moreover, when actors shift from an established genre to unfamiliar territory, they risk disappointing their fanbase. For example, given Kevin Hart’s reputation as one of Hollywood’s biggest comedic stars, it’s safe to say we’ll likely never see the star in a historical slave drama.
Even if he delivered a powerful performance, it would be difficult for audiences to disassociate Hart’s comedic work from something drastically different, like a period drama. Even though critics praised Scott’s performances in the dramas and thrillers he’s starred in, they’ve marginally boosted his career because audiences generally want to see him tell jokes. And with the action comedy Grand Theft Lotto filming as of this article’s writing, we’re willing to assume Scott is ready to return to his comedic roots.
Seann William Scott’s Transition Into Television
While Scott is best known for his work in film, he has an extensive resume in television as well — after all, the actor began his career on the small stage. With appearances on Saturday Night Live and MTV Cribs, Scott primarily played fictionalized versions of himself, but in Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas and Ice Age: The Great Egg-Scapade, he impressed fans once again with his voiceover work as fan-favorite opossum, Crash.
Scott’s more notable television appearances include an appearance in the beloved series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as Mac’s cousin, replacing Clayne Crawford in the television adaptation of Lethal Weapon alongside Damon Wayans, and most recently in the mockumentary sitcom, Welcome to Flatch.
Scott has always kept his private life to himself, which in Hollywood almost makes one appear as if they’ve disappeared into thin air. He also stays out of controversies and legal trouble, so it’s natural that we don’t hear much about the actor these days. Despite Scott’s reduced presence in mainstream Hollywood and relatively low profile, the actor is busy with Welcome to Flatch and the upcoming Lotto.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
