Shannon Elizabeth reflects on ‘American Pie’ and new mission Shannon Elizabeth looks back on her breakout role while revealing how she left the U.S. to pursue conservation work in South Africa with the Shannon Elizabeth Foundation. NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! After Shannon Elizabeth shot to fame in "American Pie" and set pulses racing, she didn’t stick to the Hollywood script — she headed to South Africa. The actress, who played the sultry exchange student Nadia in the 1999 hit,