She made her film debut in the drama Nowhere (1997). She achieved international fame for her roles as Angela Hayes in American Beauty and Heather Gardner in American Pie (both 1999), the former earning her a BAFTA Award nomination. She reprised her role as Heather in American Pie 2 (2001) and American Reunion (2012). She also appeared in The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), Loser (2000), Sugar & Spice (2001), Spun (2002), Trauma (2004), and the HBO drama series Six Feet Under (2001–05). Suvari is a model for Lancôme cosmetics and print ads for Lancôme Paris Adaptive and has been featured in several fashion blogs and magazines such as Vogue. She is a long-time supporter and activist for the African relief organization, the African Medical and Research Foundation.