Tara Reid Talks Possible American Pie Sequel, More Josie And The Pussycats, Sharknado And Her Hollywood Comeback

Josie and The Pussycats remains one of Tara Reid’s favorites.

Tara Reid has been part of some of the most rewatchable movies of the late ’90s and 2000s. From American Pie and Urban Legend to Josie and the Pussycats, Van Wilder, The Big Lebowski, and Sharknado, Reid’s career has touched comedy, horror, cult classics, and pop culture moments that fans still quote today.

During SpaceCon, I sat down with Reid for a live Nerdtropolis interview in front of fans. The conversation covered her first SpaceCon experience, the sudden fame that came with American Pie, the growing cult legacy of Josie and the Pussycats, her love for horror, the wild ride of Sharknado, and the new creative chapter she is building as a producer and filmmaker.

Tara Reid Reflects On Becoming A Pop Culture Icon

Reid became one of the defining faces of late ’90s and early 2000s pop culture. However, she said no one in the American Pie cast knew the movie would change everything. “We had no idea that it was gonna happen like that,” Reid said. “We just did this funny movie, and no one was really famous yet, and then all of a sudden American Pie came out.”

The fame hit fast. Reid said the cast was experiencing the movie’s rise in real time, right along with the audience. “We all were like, oh my gosh, what’s happening?” Reid said. “It was happening as fast as it was for the fans; it was for us.”

That level of attention was exciting, but it also became overwhelming at times. “It was sometimes scary because every time someone says your name, in the very beginning at least, they’re like, Tara! And you turn around like, hey,” Reid said. “Then it’s like, Tara, Tara, Tara, Tara!”

Reid said she eventually realized that life had changed. “There’s no way I knew all those people,” Reid said. “I started realizing that, okay, it’s getting weird now.”

Still, Reid looks back at that era with gratitude. “It’s a great feeling, and we all had a great time,” Reid said. “I’m very grateful for American Pie.”

American Pie Changed Everything For Tara Reid

American Pie became a cultural landmark for a generation of moviegoers. Reid said she realized how big her life had become when she saw her face everywhere.

At the time, she was living in New York City and had just come off American Pie. She remembered walking by newsstands and seeing herself on multiple magazine covers at once. “My face was everywhere,” Reid said. “I was on the cover of Rolling Stone, Maxim, and FHM all at the same time.”

The moment shocked her. “I was like, oh my God, that’s me,” Reid said. “What is going on?”

That recognition did not stay in one city or one country. Reid said the fame traveled everywhere. “It happened so fast,” Reid said. “Once again, you’re like a normal girl, and the next second it goes from like zero to 100. It felt like overnight.”

Reid also said the global reach of movies made the experience even bigger.

“I remember going to Italy and France and Tunisia, all these weird countries, and everyone knew who I was,” Reid said. “It wasn’t just America, it was all around the world.”

Tara Reid Reveals American Pie Had A Different Title

During the panel, Reid also shared that American Pie was not always called American Pie. “No, we had no clue,” Reid said when asked if she knew the film would launch a major franchise. “Actually, when we first did American Pie, it was called a completely different name.”

Reid said the original title was much longer and sounded more like a pitch. The film was later called East Grand Rapids High before the title finally changed to American Pie. “At the final moment when the movie came out, they turned it into American Pie,” Reid said.

She believes that title helped the film become what it became.“I think if they didn’t make it American Pie, it would not have been as famous,” Reid said. “I think the name also made the movie.”

Reid also pointed out the obvious image that comes to mind for many fans. “When you think of American Pie, you definitely think of Jason Biggs with the pie,” Reid said.

Tara Reid Says Another American Pie Could Still Happen

Fans have asked for another American Pie movie for years. Reid said there have been conversations and rumors, but the timing has not worked out yet.“American Pie, there’s a lot of rumors about it coming back,” Reid said. “The truth of the matter on that is that there’s a script. There’s been a script.”

According to Reid, the issue has not been a lack of material. “We could have done five more already,” Reid said. “We just haven’t done it because inside, some of the producers and people, writers, and this and that, aren’t getting along so well.”

Still, Reid believes another movie will happen one day. “Once they can make up, then we’ll have another American Pie,” Reid said. “It will happen eventually. It’s just taking a little bit longer than we thought. But right now, not yet.”

Reid also encouraged fans to use their voices if they want to see these franchises return. She said studios pay attention when audiences speak up online. “You guys make it happen,” Reid said. “You’re the ones that make it happen.”

Josie And The Pussycats Found A Second Life

While American Pie became a hit right away, Josie and the Pussycats had a very different path. Reid said everyone involved thought the movie would be huge when it first came out. “Josie and the Pussycats is one of my favorite movies,” Reid said. “We thought we were gonna crush it.”

Instead, the film struggled at the box office. “It completely failed at the box office,” Reid said. “No one saw it. It was a big loss for us.”

Years later, the movie has become a cult favorite, and Reid is happy to see fans finally embrace it. “Now, like 25 years later, it’s become a cult classic,” Reid said. “Everyone loves Josie and the Pussycats now.”

Reid also floated the idea of a possible sequel. “Now we’re even thinking of maybe making a second one,” Reid said. “If Backstreet Boys can do it, and Sing can do it, why can’t Josie and the Pussycats do it?”

For Reid, the biggest reason to revisit the band would be reuniting with Rachel Leigh Cook and Rosario Dawson. “That would be the best movie ever because Rosario Dawson and Rachel Leigh Cook are the coolest girls,” Reid said. “We have so much fun on there.”

Tara Reid Remembers Making Josie And The Pussycats

Reid said making Josie and the Pussycats felt like a wild adventure with her co-stars. “It was like sleepaway camp,” Reid said. “We shot it in Canada, and it was just us three girls. It was literally like the ultimate girl trip.”

She described the experience as fun, chaotic, and full of energy. “We went out every night, we had fun every night, we were always in trouble in a good way,” Reid said. “We were bad girls, but good girls.”

Reid made it clear that the fun never got in the way of the work. “We were good, set on time, everything was perfect,” Reid said. “We all knew our lines, but we definitely had our fun on that movie.”

She also praised her co-stars. “Rachel Leigh Cook is the sweetest, kindest girl ever. Very smart,” Reid said. “And Rosario, same thing.”

Reid joked that Cook helped keep everyone in line. “Rachel’s more strict. She’s the one who kept us in order,” Reid said. “I was the wild one, pretty much. And Rosario, whatever I was down to do, she was down to do too.”

Tara Reid Talks Possible Josie Sequel

When asked where the girls could be today if Josie and the Pussycats returned, Reid imagined a reunion story. “I think it would be like everyone else’s comeback,” Reid said.

She compared it to bands that reconnect years later after time apart. “It would be the same thing,” Reid said. “We just come back with each other again.”

She also joked that Melody could be the reason for the group’s breakup. “Probably Melody says something stupid,” Reid said.

Then she slipped right back into the character’s energy. “Oh my God, we should come back as a band together,” Reid said. “Josie and the Pussycats forever!”

Urban Legend Remains One Of Tara Reid’s Favorite Horror Experiences

Reid also reflected on Urban Legend, the 1998 slasher film that remains a fan favorite for horror audiences. “If you love horror films, Urban Legend is probably one of the ultimate horror films ever,” Reid said.

She praised the way the film was made, from the concept to the direction. “The way it was shot, the way it was done, storyline, everything,” Reid said.

Reid also had warm words for director Jamie Blanks, who died in 2024. “He just knew about horror films,” Reid said. “He knew about everything. Nicest guy, coolest human being in the world.”

According to Reid, Blanks loved scaring the cast even when the cameras were not rolling. “He would scare us all the time, even when we’re on the set,” Reid said. “He’d jump out of a window, and we’re like, oh my God.”

That energy helped create the atmosphere on set. “That movie had so much great energy on it, great actors on it, and it was just a great horror film all around,” Reid said.

Tara Reid Looks Back At The Wild Ride Of Sharknado

The Sharknado franchise gave Reid one of the most outrageous chapters of her career. She knows exactly how wild it got. “All I know is what other actress in the entire world went to outer space, jumped inside a shark’s belly, gave birth to a baby in the belly, and then landed on Earth?” Reid said.

Then she answered her own question. “I did!”

Reid laughed about how far the franchise pushed her character. “That movie was ridiculous,” Reid said. “It was so much fun.”

By the end, her character had gone far beyond anything grounded in reality. “I became a robot,” Reid said. “I wasn’t even human anymore at the end, I was flying, I had laser eyes and I was holding down helicopters with one hand.”

Even with the chaos, Reid had a great time making the movies. “It got so out of control,” Reid said. “But it was a lot of fun. We had a great time on the movie.”

However, she said that the chapter has ended. “Unfortunately, that franchise is closed,” Reid said.

How Tara Reid Got Her Start In Acting

Reid’s acting story began by chance in New Jersey. She said she did not grow up chasing the acting bug. Instead, she was discovered as a child in a mall. “I didn’t get the acting bug,” Reid said. “This is a funny story, it’s true.”

Reid said she was around 5 or 6 years old when she was with her mother and brother at a New Jersey mall. While her mother was getting pizza in the food court, Reid and her brother were running around and being kids.

A woman nearby noticed her. Reid said the woman turned out to be a major children’s talent manager from New York City. “She just watched us being crazy,” Reid said.

The manager told Reid’s mother that she thought Reid was perfect for a role in a Stephen King project. “My mom’s like, but she doesn’t even know how to act,” Reid said. “My mom was a school teacher, my dad was a stockbroker. Acting, that was not what we were thinking about.”

Reid said she thought about Drew Barrymore in E.T. and decided to try it. “I went in for the audition,” Reid said. “They walked me out of the room, and I sat next to my mom, and they said, ‘She got the part.’”

That moment changed her life. “I never tried to get into acting,” Reid said. “I didn’t study. I didn’t do anything.”

Decades later, she sees it as something that may have been meant to happen. “I guess I was destined to do this job because I don’t know what I’d do anyway,” Reid said.

Tara Reid Takes Creative Control With Dr. Q

Reid is now building a new chapter by producing, developing, and taking more control over her own work. She said the decision came from wanting to stop waiting on other people to decide her future. “I started producing and directing and taking my career in my hands because it was going really well when I was younger, but that was up to other people to hire me or not,” Reid said. “I didn’t want to wait to get hired.”

Reid also spoke candidly about how difficult the press has been on her over the years. “The press has been pretty hard on me in my life,” Reid said. “It’s not been easy to me, so it’s harder to get jobs.”

That pushed her to create her own opportunities. “I’m great at what I do, and I love what I do, so I want to make it for myself,” Reid said.

One of those projects is Dr. Q, a psychological thriller that Reid said she fully produced and stars in. “It’s my favorite movie I’ve ever made,” Reid said. “It’s the first one I completely produced, starred in, did every single detail of that movie.”

Reid said the project allowed audiences to see a different side of her. “It’s something you’ve never seen,” Reid said. “It’s a really dark psychological thriller.”

Tara Reid On Learning How Hard It Is To Make A Movie

Producing gave Reid a new respect for what happens behind the scenes. “I didn’t know how hard it was to make a movie,” Reid said. “I just showed up on time.”

Once she stepped into the producer role, the job became much bigger. “Being a producer, it’s impossible,” Reid said. “Getting the money, getting the finance, getting the people, getting the permits to shoot certain things. There’s so much detail that goes into it.”

That experience changed her appreciation for filmmaking. “Before, I knew how to be in a movie,” Reid said. “But now making a movie and being in it at the same time is completely a different appreciation I’ve ever had in my life.”

Reid said she has learned a lot by taking on both sides of the process. “I’ve learned so much,” Reid said.

Tara Reid Teases Her Next Projects

Reid also shared several projects she has coming next, including a vertical series called Tara Reid’s Murder Mystery. “It’s the first one that’s coming out that’s actually real actors, a real situation,” Reid said. “Most of them are kind of goofy, but this is actually real.”

She described the project as scary, emotional, and fun. “It’s good, it’s fun, it’s scary, it’s crazy,” Reid said. “It has all the emotions worked together.”

Reid also mentioned Hollywood Heist, Famous, Man Date, and a horror film she was preparing to shoot in Florida. She also discussed Masha’s Mushroom, a project she is producing. “We have a lot going on this year,” Reid said. “Four movies coming out, a TV show coming out.”

For Reid, staying busy is part of the mission. “I’m keeping myself working, but other people are keeping me working too,” Reid said. “We’re in a good place again right now.”

She credited fans for helping create that momentum. “It’s because of you fans,” Reid said. “There’s so many people that say, hey, where is she? Why is she not in the movies anymore? Why have we not hired her? We missed Tara Reid.”

Tara Reid On Why She Loves Working

Near the end of the interview, Reid opened up about what keeps her moving in this next chapter. “What keeps me going every single day is that I love to work,” Reid said. “I love to work, and I love my job.”

For Reid, being on set still feels exciting. “There’s something about being on the set when they say, rolling, action, and then you just come to life,” Reid said.

She also described the process of becoming a character through costumes, music, and imagination. “As soon as they put the clothes on, the character’s out,” Reid said. “I like to create these characters in my head, and it’s fun. It’s a release, it’s my therapy, it’s my everything.”

That love for the work has carried Reid through highs, lows, cult classics, franchises, and reinvention. She sees staying active as part of staying happy. “When you work, and you accomplish something good, you feel so much better about yourself,” Reid said.

Her advice was simple. “Keeping yourself busy is the best step,” Reid said.

Tara Reid Appreciates Her Fans

Reid closed the panel by thanking the SpaceCon crowd and the fans who have supported her through every era of her career. “You guys make it work, and I love you for that,” Reid said. “So thank you.”

From American Pie and Josie and the Pussycats to Urban Legend, Sharknado, and her new producing chapter, Reid has lived through several different versions of Hollywood. Now, she is focused on creating her own opportunities and bringing new projects to the fans who never stopped asking to see more of her.

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