MTV Award-winning actor Seann William Scott, who rose to fame for his role as bully Steve Stifler in the 1999 cult classic "American Pie," a role he reprised in two sequels, told reporters yesterday he is taking credit for providing what he called a "substantial margin of victory" for Democratic Senatorial candidate Al Franken in this month's Senatorial race by bullying his entire extended family into driving to the polls and voting for Franken.
In remarks made to an MTV interviewer during follow-up promotional coverage for his most recent film, "Role Models," the David Wain-directed comedy co-starring Paul Rudd that has so far taken in over $50 million in the American box office, Scott credited himself with "being a role model, of sorts" by rounding up "92 votes, maybe 93" for the Democratic candidate, a former star of Lorne Michaels' famous "Saturday Night Live" television show.
Scott, who was born in the Minneapolis suburb of Cottage Grove, is the youngest member of a family of seven children and claims he has "a zillion" aunts, uncles, cousins and nieces and nephews who would ordinarily fall into the category of non-voters -- "except for my strong insistence that they vote this year."
"I send them a lot of swag I get free from various gift bags and promotinoal events, and I told them the swag would dry up if they didnt' get their butts out to the voting booth and vote for Franken," says Scott. "And they all swore to me that they had."
Scott claims he was moved to his recent spate of political action after hearing that two of his favorite entertainers, the singer Prince and the actress Mary Tyler Moore, had come out strongly in support of Franken.
"So you see, every vote really does count," says Scott.
Franken is currently involved in a heavily contested recount for the Minnesota Senate seat, with just 100 votes separating him and his opponent Norm Coleman, the Republican who currently holds the seat. Final results have yet to be announced.
Scott played Bo Duke in the film adaptation of "The Dukes of Hazzard" and has also voice-acted in films such as the computer animated "Ice Age: The Meltdown," and the sequel "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs," and is also famous for playing the hapless nerd role in the film "Final Destination" and a harmless stoner character in "Dude, Where's My Car?" alongside his real-life best friend, Ashton Kutcher.
Scott made an appearance in Kevin Smith's "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" as a guitar-playing animal rights activist and has a starring part as a police officer in "Southland Tales," where he re-united with fellow actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
Scott hosted the MTV Movie Awards 2003 alongside Justin Timberlake, and has hosted "Saturday Night Live" and appeared as a guest co-host on "Live with Regis Philburn and Kelly Ripa." He is currently in the running for the part of Baird in the film adaption of "Gears of War."
