Paul Archuleta/Getty
NEED TO KNOW
American Pie 2 is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026, marking a milestone for the popular sex-comedy sequel
The film starred Jason Biggs alongside Seann William Scott, Alyson Hannigan and franchise legend Eugene Levy
In a recent interview with Parade, Biggs shared the lessons he learned and how he is now implementing them in his work as a director today
AsAmerican Pie 2is set to mark its 25th anniversary later this year, the sequel remains a defining entry in the late-1990s and early-2000s wave of raunchy comedies.
Released in 2001, the film followed Jim Levenstein – played byJason Biggs– and his friends as they reunited after their first year of college, renting a beach house for one last summer of chaos, hookups, and painfully awkward lessons about growing up.
While the outrageous humor pushed boundaries, the movie's heart came from its characters trying to navigate adulthood with sincerity beneath the shock value.
"A lesson that I've taken from theAmerican Piefilms, and also, most especially, taken from my brilliant costar and second dad,Eugene Levy,is, you know, the 'Eugene Levy School of Comedy' is to do your best to ground," Biggs toldParadein a recent interview.
Universal/Getty
Looking back more than two decades later, Biggs said that staying grounded in a scene, even in the wildest moments, was key to making the franchise work.
"No matter how heightened the circumstances are — inAmerican Pie, obviously, we do some crazy things here in this movie, the whole concept is pretty high and heightened, and there are some shocking moments — but the goal for me always was to try to keep it as restrained, as contained, as grounded in reality as possible where you can, because that allows you to take those chances elsewhere," the 47-year-old actor and now-director explained.
In a 2025interview with PEOPLE, Biggs even admitted he would jump on the opportunity to star in a potentialAmerican Pie 5sequel if it were made.
"I've always said I would 100% be down to work with those people again and to play that character again, and you know, it's one of the best experiences of my life," Biggs says of playing Jim. "I'm very proud of it."
The philosophies learned early in his career continue to influence how he approaches storytelling today and have directly influenced his latest project:Untitled Home Invasion Romance.
The comedic thriller leans into shocking twists of its own, following a man who takes his wife on vacation with a disastrous plan to repair their marriage by staging a fake break-in and casting himself as the hero.
Despite the extreme setup, Biggs says the film ultimately centers on love and resilience. "The lesson here is… couples can sort of overcome anything," he told Parade. "Love can overcome anything, because certainly if it can come out, if it can overcome, you know, what these two have been through in this movie, then, sure — they can get through anything."
Untitled Home Invasion Romancewill be available to stream on Jan. 27, 2026.
Read the original article onPeople