Shannon Elizabeth Told Her Friends Not To Watch American Pie (All Because Of That Accent)

In "American Pie," Shannon Elizabeth plays a foreign exchange student named Nadia, who has a very distinct accent. Beforehand, the actress did substantial preparation with a dialect coach to get it down for the film, but after production had been completed, she was called in to make some adjustments. "When I did American Pie, they called me in to do ADR (automated dialogue replacement)," Elizabeth revealed on the podcast "Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum" (via YouTube). "They were like, 'We're gonna play with the accent.' So I'd say something, and then they'd go, 'Ok, do less of an accent.' I was like, 'Why are they messing with this accent so much?' I had worked really hard with a dialect coach on this." The experience caused Elizabeth to lose all confidence in the film's chances for success, and she wasn't shy about telling people. "I told all my friends, 'This movie's gonna suck' because they messed with my accent so much!" Elizabeth said when it was all over, "I was devastated after ADR."

Despite her doubts, "American Pie" went on to gross $235 million at the box office against an $11 million budget. While parts of that endeavor were less than ideal, Elizabeth still positively looks back on her time in the franchise, even expressing her appreciation on the 20-year anniversary. "Being a part of such an incredible film has been nothing but a blessing." The actress posted on Instagram. "I am so grateful for everything American Pie has done for me." While she isn't a fan of the accent overall, she appears happy fans can continue to enjoy her worthwhile efforts and the rest of the "American Pie" films.