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Exclusive! "American Reunion's" Chris Klein: I'm A Romantic, Too


Chris Klein YourTango Exclusive
"I got cast as Oz for a reason"
The actor on reuniting with his 'American Pie' crew and why he's perfect to play the romantic jock.

What was it like reading the script and seeing how each of your lives changed?
It was kind of incredible. My experience reading this script, I had such a feeling of nostalgia. I can remember reading the very first American Pie script at 18-years old at my parents' kitchen table in the house where I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. I read it late at night, the house was quiet, and I was getting ready to come to Los Angeles for a group of auditions. I closed the script and said, "I can play this part." It was the first time I ever felt that. So, when I read American Reunion, of course I knew I could play the part, but it was "Yes, they captured what I felt when I was 18, and this is it again."

A big message in the movie is about trying to recapture the glory days even though things don't stay the same. How do you think you've changed as you've grown older?
Oh man, I've changed tremendously. I've gone from just hoping to have a summer job in 1998 when we made American Pie, to it being as successful as it was, to having the opportunity to make more movies and have a 15-year career in this business. When I think about it, it's incredible that it's been that long. At the same time, it's a drop in the bucket because it seems like yesterday. Exclusive! 'Big Miracle' Star Dermot Mulroney On His "Epic" Love

In the movie, Oz still has a crush on his high school girlfriend, played by Mena Suvari. Do you think it's a good idea to get back together with an ex?
(Laughs) Far be it from me to give YourTango.com readers any relationship advice at all! I'm certainly not the one to talk to about that. The one thing that I will say is that, with social media the way it is today, you can find anybody that you grew up with, and who knows? If you have a flame and the circumstances are right, you're both available and you both agree that you should (try it), and if you feel something, then why the heck not? First love could be true love. And me personally, listen, I'm a romantic too. I got cast as Oz for a reason – I'm a romantic in my own life. And, you never know! If the circumstances are right, you're not going to step on anybody's toes, so why don't you give it a shot!

Did you go back to your own high school reunion?
Unfortunately, my schedule did not allow me to get back to Omaha to go to my reunion, but I sure wish that I had. Through the website of my high school reunion, I was able to get back in contact with some friends that I had lost touch with, which I'm really grateful for. Now, we're in touch all the time and I've met their wives and kids.

You just celebrated your birthday – what's next for you?
I turned 33 and there I was last summer trying to do hip-hop dance moves (for the movie)! At the time I said, "This is a 32-year-old man trying to do moves designed for a 22-year-old man. I don't know if it's gonna happen!" We're all really excited to do the premiere and red carpet thing and roll this movie out, and then we're taking the movie to Europe. I'm pretty stoked about that.

Where do you think you'll be in another 10 years?
Oh man, in another 10 years, gosh, I'll be 43, and who knows? I remember 10 years ago, I had no expectations. Even a little bit further back then that when making the first American Pie, I was just thrilled to be a part of something cool. I feel that again today, and I don't know where it goes after this, but I'm in a really stoked place. I love that we have this movie coming out and I'm looking forward to what's next.

Photo Credit: Getty


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