Mena Suvari was born on February 13, 1979, in Newport, Rhode Island, to Candice, a nurse, and Ando Ivar Suvari, a psychiatrist of Estonian descent. She began modeling as a preteen and soon appeared in a Rice-A-Roni commercial. Her family later moved to Charleston, South Carolina, where her brothers attended The Citadel.

Mena Suvari was considering becoming an archaeologist, astronaut, or doctor when a modeling agency stopped by her all-girls school to offer classes. By the time she started acting, she had been modeling for the New York-based Wilhelmina agency for five years.

Mena Suvari made her film debut in the 1997 black comedy drama "Nowhere" and rose to international prominence with her appearances as Angela in the critically acclaimed comedy-drama "American Beauty" (1999), for which she received a BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and Heather in three of the "American Pie" films (1999-2001, 2012).

Her other notable lead film roles include "Slums of Beverly Hills" (1998), "Loser" (2000), "Sugar & Spice" (2001), "The Musketeer" (2001), "Spun" (2003), "Stuck" (2007), "Day of the Dead" (2008), and "You May Not Kiss the Bride" (2010).

In television, she played main roles as Maria Abascal on the We TV supernatural horror series "South of Hell" (2015) and Kathleen Callahan on the Paramount sitcom "American Woman" (2018).

For her main role as Detective Thompson on the Gala Film short form series "RZR" (2024), she was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series.

Mena Suvari has been married three times, first to cinematographer Robert Brinkmann (2000-2005), then to Simone Sestito (2010-2012), and currently to Michael Hope since 2018. She has one child, Christopher Alexander, born in 2021.

Mena Suvari has been a model for Lancôme cosmetics and print ads for Lancôme Paris Adapté, as well as a long-time supporter and activist for the Starlight Children's Foundation and the African Medical and Research Foundation.

She adopted a plant-based diet in early 2018 and has been an advocate for animal rights and environmental conservation.

Her career has been marked by a series of notable performances and awards. She received a Screen Actors Guild Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. Her memoir, "The Great Peace," published in 2021, revealed her history with a predatory manager, childhood sexual abuse, and drug use used to numb her pain.