The third movie in the American Pie franchise, American Wedding, reunited the main group for Jim and Michelle’s wedding, except for a couple of characters that played big roles in the first movies – and here’s why they didn’t return for the wedding. Back in 1999, the audience was introduced to the sex comedy movie American Pie, directed by Paul Weitz in his directorial debut and written by Adam Herz. American Pie‘s cast consists of a group of best friends who make a pact to lose their virginity before their high school graduation, but they soon get involved in a lot of trouble that could prevent them from reaching their goal.

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Even though American Pie wasn’t well-received by critics, it was a box-office hit, and that made way for a franchise with a total of nine movies, though five of them are spinoffs. The main movies in the franchise, then, follow the relationship of Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) and Michelle Flaherty (Alyson Hannigan), from their fake romance that soon became official in American Pie 2 to their wedding in the third movie appropriately titled American Wedding and their family life in American Reunion. The biggest event in the series was, of course, Jim and Michelle’s wedding, for which they reunited with their closest friends, though many characters, such as Casey Affleck, did not return.

Jim’s group of friends was formed by Chris “Oz” Ostreicher (Chris Klein), Steven Stifler (Seann William Scott), Kevin Myers (Thomas Ian Nicholas), and Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas), and were joined by other characters that, while not part of the main cast, played a very important role in the stories of the aforementioned group, as were Heather (Mena Suvari), Victoria “Vicky” Lathum (Tara Reid), and Jessica (Natasha Lyonne). However, not all of them made it to Jim and Michelle’s wedding, with Heather, Vicky, and Jessica not being part of American Pie 3, and even though he was one of Jim’s best friends, Oz didn’t show up either, much to the surprise of fans, who wondered where the original American Pie cast had gone.

Why So Many American Pie Characters Are Missing in American Wedding

For years, viewers assumed that Oz’s absence from American Wedding was due to Chris Klein deciding not to return to the franchise, but the truth turned out to be very different. Speaking to HuffPost in 2012 while promoting American Reunion, Chris Klein revealed that he wasn’t invited to take return for the third American Pie movie, despite what everyone believed. Klein mentioned that not including Oz was “a creative decision made way above my pay grade”, and that the same happened with the characters of Heather and Vicky, but added that had they all had a role to play in American Wedding, they would have definitely joined. Their absence is made even stranger by the franchise having other characters return for the American Pie spin-offs, but in a weird attempt to try to “justify” Oz’s absence from Jim and Michelle’s wedding, when he and Jim reunite in American Pie 4, Oz tells his friend that he missed his wedding but he would never miss the reunion.

As for Heather, Jessica, and Vicky, it’s understandable why they were left behind: as Heather and Oz were together by the end of American Pie 2, without him there was no room for her, as she wasn’t friends with Jim and Michelle, Jessica wasn’t close to them either, and Vicky was no longer with Kevin, and there wouldn’t have been enough room in the story for more Vicky/Kevin drama. Ultimately, Oz’s absence was too strange not to be noticed and was clearly a big mistake for the American Pie franchise. The line about missing the wedding but not the reunion was too weird and a bit off-character, but in the end, Oz, Vicky, Heather, and Jessica at least all returned for the final chapter in the American Pie (main) series.

Every Character Missing From American Pie 3

As well as several core characters not returning for Jim and Michelle’s wedding in American Pie 3, there were several supporting characters who did not appear. Kevin’s brother Tom (Casey Affleck) was absent, as was Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth). Stifler’s younger brother Matt didn’t make an appearance, either, nor did Chuck “the Shermanator” Sherman (Chris Owen). Both Owen and Elizabeth reprised their roles for American Reunion, so they clearly weren’t averse to returning to the franchise.

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Whether or not American Pie 5 or an American Pie reboot will ever happen remains to be seen. As the original’s cast secured the franchise’s lasting success, though, it seems only right that they’re included in the franchise. Their absence was all too obvious in American Wedding, with the characters missing from American Pie 3 numbering almost as many as those that returned, and it ultimately hurt the film.

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About The Author


Adrienne Tyler
(3268 Articles Published)

Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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