American Pie actor Jason Biggs, who starred as Jim Levenstein in the movies, discussed the iconic scene from the first film that gave the franchise its name. American Pie is a coming-of-age comedy that came out in 1999 and became a surprising success, grossing over $235 million at the worldwide box office. The comedy soon became a cult classic, beloved for bringing the teen comedy genre back into the forefront. The movie’s staying power centers around one raunchy scene performed by Biggs. His character took it literally when a friend told him that third base felt like warm apple pie, leading him to attempt to penetrate with an actual apple pie.

Recently, Biggs spoke about the infamous scene in an interview with People. The actor thought the pie scene was so shocking that he needed to be coached into doing it. Once he did it, the positive reaction gave him more confidence in his own comedic chops. Read Biggs’ full quote below:

I remember when I first read the script, I thought it was so great, unlike anything else I had read. But then the day of filming came and I had this momentary freakout where I thought, ‘Oh geez, what if no one sees this? Or what if they do see it?’ And they think, ‘What the heck did that guy do? Why would he do that? That’s awful.’ My confidence waned.
I called my manager and I remember telling him like, ‘Dude, am I really about to go in there and do this with a pie? Is this porn? Am I tripping? Is this not as funny as I thought it was? Am I really going to do this?’ And he literally told me, ‘Jason, you go in there and you hump that pie with all you got. I went in there and I was like, ‘Okay, 110%, here we go,’ and I did the first take and there was this quick pause and I remember thinking, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’ And all of a sudden, everyone on set burst out laughing and I thought, ‘Oh, this is amazing. This is a home run.’ And since that moment, I’ve never ever questioned anything. That was a turning point in my life where I was like, ‘No, if I think it’s funny, you just go for it. If you fall flat on your face, so be it.’
When people realize what I’m going to do with the pie, the visual of me with the pie is funny, but what really sells the scene, and the funniest part of the scene, I believe, is Eugene’s reaction to it. That’s what completes it. That’s the cherry on top. And he was just so brilliant.

Why American Pie’s Infamous Scene Became Iconic Explained

It says a lot about the filmmakers’ determination that people on set were still questioning the movie’s central gag up until shooting. Due to their confidence in their material, however, they created an indelible moment in modern film history. It’s no coincidence that the sequels couldn’t live up to that scene, and it’s unlikely that upcoming American Pie productions will either because they don’t have a unique and unprecedented moment like the pie scene.

The absurd nature of the pie scene led to a shocking yet hilarious reaction from audience members. While the character dipping his finger in the pie with a sexual motion is already ridiculous enough, the awe proceeds with him continuing the bizarre behavior by laying on top of the pie with his pants around his ankles, resulting in the most unforgettable image from the movie. The scene culminates with bushy-brow Eugene Levy’s aghast expression when he sees his son’s unorthodox action, which adds to the cringe factor and bewilderment of the embarrassing yet iconic scene.

RELATED: American Pie Cast & Characters Guide

American Pie’s continued popularity can be attributed to many facets, such as legendary characters like Stifler and Stifler’s mom and a story that presented a quintessential American high school experience in the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, the nerve and brashness that the filmmakers showed in not only including Biggs’ pie scene but basing the name of the movie on it have also contributed massively to the movie’s ability to stand the test of time.

Source: People