Chris Frederick Klein was born on March 14, 1979, in Hinsdale, Illinois (a suburb of Chicago), to Fred and Terese Klein. When Chris was 13 years old, his family (Chris, his parents, and his two siblings - older sister Debbie and younger brother Tim) moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he spent his teenage years. Even as a child, Chris was interested in acting - he asked his parents if he could take professional acting classes. He later starred in school plays, such as "The Sound of Music", and homemade indie shorts.
Chris got his "big break" when he (literally) ran into director Alexander Payne ), as Chris was leaving the weight room at Millard West High School. Payne was looking for a high school in which to film his upcoming movie, Election. It wasn't until two months later, when Chris was attending school at Texas Christian University as a dramatic arts major, that Payne called Chris and asked him to star in the movie.
Chris's breakthrough performance was in the teen sex comedy American Pie, which also launched the careers of such young actors as Mena Suvari and Seann William Scott. Chris played Oz, the sensitive choirboy/lacrosse player at East Great Falls High. He went on to star in the drama Here on Earth as Kelley, a spoiled rich kid who falls for a girl named Samantha, played by Leelee Sobieski.
Up next for Chris is Rollerball, where he'll be sharing the screen with LL Cool J, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, and Jean Reno in the remake of the 1970's cult classic. He'll also be reprising his role as Oz in the much-anticipated sequel to American Pie. Then, Chris will have a supporting role in the upcoming Vietnam War drama We Were Soldiers Once...And Young, alongside seasoned actors like Mel Gibson and Madeleine Stowe, as well as fellow up-and-comers like Marc Blucas (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and Keri Russell. Chris is dating actress Katie Holmes (Dawson's Creek), and he currently lives in L.A. (but tries to get back to Omaha as often as possible). |
