Portrait of Chris Klein

Birthday profile

Chris Klein

American actor

Born
March 14, 1979
Age in 2026
47
Zodiac sign
Pisces
Birth year
1979

About Chris Klein

Frederick Christopher Klein (born March 14, 1979) is an American actor. He made his on-screen debut with a supporting role in the dark comedy film Election (1999) before his breakout starring role as Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the teen sex comedy film American Pie (1999). He reprised his role in two sequels: American Pie 2 (2001) and American Reunion (2012). Following American Pie, Klein starred in the comedy films Say It Isn't So (2001), Just Friends (2005), and American Dreamz (2006), and had lead roles in the drama film Here on Earth (2000) and the science fiction sports film Rollerball (2002). He also starred in the war film We Were Soldiers (2002), the drama film The United States of Leland (2003), and the martial arts action film Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (2009). After a starring role in the film Authors Anonymous (2014) and a recurring role as Drew on the FX sitcom Wilfred (2011–2014), Klein experienced a career resurgence in the late 2010s with his main role as Orlin Dwyer / Cicada on season 5 of the CW superhero television series The Flash (2018–2019). Following The Flash, he had a main role as Bill Townsend on the first three seasons of the Netflix drama series Sweet Magnolias (2020–2023) and starred in the slasher film Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025). In his senior year, Klein was offered his first professional acting job by director Alexander Payne, who was scouting Omaha, his hometown, as a potential filming location for the film Election. He then played Bill Townsend on the first three seasons of the Netflix drama series Sweet Magnolias (2020–2023) and starred in the slasher film Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025).

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Chris Klein timeline

  1. He made his on-screen debut with a supporting role in the dark comedy film Election (1999) before his breakout starring role as Chris "Oz" Ostreicher in the teen sex comedy film American Pie (1999).
  2. Following The Flash, he had a main role as Bill Townsend on the first three seasons of the Netflix drama series Sweet Magnolias (2020–2023) and starred in the slasher film Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025).
  3. He then played Bill Townsend on the first three seasons of the Netflix drama series Sweet Magnolias (2020–2023) and starred in the slasher film Fear Street: Prom Queen (2025).

The world when Chris Klein was born

Chris Klein was born in 1979. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1979

  • #1 song"My Sharona" – The Knack
  • Top movieKramer vs. Kramer
  • Top TV showLaverne & Shirley
  • Best-selling bookThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

Headlines and milestones

  • Major sports moment"Miracle on Ice" (1980 — actually)
  • Top headlineIran hostage crisis begins
  • Technology milestoneSony Walkman released — portable music goes mainstream
  • Defining fadSony Walkman — portable music revolution
  • Notable inventionSony Walkman
  • World population4.38 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderJimmy Carter
  • Sports championPittsburgh Pirates (World Series)
  • Also wonSeattle SuperSonics (NBA)
  • U.S. population225.1M

1979 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Chris Klein's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure19792026
Gas$0.86$3.45/gal
Average home$62,900$435,000
Average income$19,554$67,500
Minimum wage$2.90$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket$2.51$11.95
Postage stamp$0.15$0.73
Population225.1M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.