Nostalgia alert! Tara Reid shot to fame by landing several big-screen film roles over the years, from American Pie to Josie and the Pussycats as well as National Lampoon’s Van Wilder. However, the star first made a name for herself in the industry while appearing on the daytime soap Days of Our Lives back in 1995.
Tara started developing a passion for acting by the young age of six, later revealing how the American Pie franchise really took her career to new heights. “In my American Pie days, everyone was kissing my butt. I didn’t realize how good I had it,” she told People in 2008. “But the second things go down, no one cares. I’ve become more humble.”
By leading a life in the spotlight, Tara has learned how to deal with criticism about her performances as well as her appearance. The star, unfortunately, had a botched breast augmentation and stomach liposuction done in 2004, which led to a lot of bullying online. And the shade continued as people would constantly comment about her thin figure.
“Some people that eat too much, [and] you yell at them that they’re fat,” she fired back at the nay-sayers. “You want to get mad at me because I’m skinny? Great, get mad at me. I am what I am.”
Even though she dealt with some highs and lows in her work and personal life, Tara made a major career comeback by starring in the 2013 SyFy movie Sharknado, which had four sequels. The actress said she felt this opportunity really helped expand her horizons and prove that she wasn’t just going to fade away.
“I think people are saying, ‘This girl has lasting power. She’s been in this business since she was 6 years old,'” she told TIME magazine during an interview in 2014. “I’ve done over 45 movies. Regardless if they’re A movies, B movies, C movies, D movies. I always stay working. I love what I do.”
Tara has continued to secure roles, having recently appeared in the The Boys, the horror movie Art of the Dead and Mummy Dearest. On top of that, she’s got multiple projects in the works at the moment!
Scroll through the photo gallery below to see Tara’s transformation over the years.