Why Seann William Scott Was Never The Same After American Pie

Adam Sandler attempted to expand his range with films like “Uncut Gems,” “Punch-Drunk Love” and “Reign Over Me.” Melissa McCarthy did the same with “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” and “The Kitchen.” Jim Carrey had “The Truman Show” and “Man on the Moon.”

Seann William Scott, for his part, was smart enough to try and do something similar. The only problem is, he may have just bet on the wrong horses.

His big, high-profile leading man play was undoubtedly “Bulletproof Monk.” The 2003 film was based on a comic book, would mark the directorial debut of in-demand music video director Paul Hunter (Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson), cast him alongside international superstar Chow Yun-Fat in his first role since “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and was a high-profile action film that hoped to launch a franchise with Seann’s character as its Luke Skywalker-like hero in training — what could go wrong?

To answer that question, ask yourself: When was the last time you heard anyone talk about “Bulletproof Monk”?

Around the same time, he signed up for what was a very in-demand movie — “Southland Tales,” filmmaker Richard Kelly’s feverishly-anticipated follow-up to “Donnie Darko,” a movie that seemed to have announced the arrival of Hollywood’s newest auteur. Co-stars included The Rock, Justin Timberlake, Amy Poehler, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Mandy Moore … but the production became notoriously troubled, the film was rumored to be largely incoherent, and after years of delays was released with little fanfare.  

“I think it’s a movie that you’re either going to love or you’re going to hate,” Scott said in 2007 after viewing one of the many  “Southland Tales” cuts made during its delay in release. “I think there’s a chance that half you guys and girls in this room will think it’s really cool. The other ones are going to think it’s pretentious.”

Neither of these films set the box office on fire, nor did they become the kind of critical darlings that could rewrite an actor’s public image. In more recent years, Scott has appeared in the grisly thriller “Bloodline” and the crime drama “Already Gone,” but neither of them fared much better.