Downey High School’s English teacher, and former lacrosse coach, Scott Witkin, starred as a lacrosse player in the movie, American Pie, in 1999.

Mr. Witkin talks about how his experience with working in the film industry was a great time but happened on accident.

“I was playing lacrosse for the Guinness Lacrosse Club,” Witkin said, “and one of the players asked me if I wanted to be in a movie, so of course I said yes.”

In the movie Mr. Witkin acts as a lacrosse player for a team. It was a low budget movie compared to the other Hollywood movies, so when they needed players he was happy to do it. While shooting the movie he met Seann William Scott and Eugene Levy. Other times he has also had small encounters with Robin Williams, Morgan Freeman, and Samuel L. Jackson.

Audree Banuelos, 11, a former student of Mr. Witkin, explains why she thinks it is interesting to have a teacher who was in a movie.

“I think it’s really cool, because it shows me that you can do anything you set your mind to,” Banuelos said. “I would also want to watch the movie because it would be interesting to see my teacher doing something else besides teaching.”

Andrew Secaida, 11, another former student of Mr. Witkin, says he enjoys the stories his teacher tells the class about his experience in the movie.

“I like hearing stories about how he got the job and the people he met while shooting the movie,” Secaida says. “When I first walked into his class I did not know he was in American Pie so it was a bit shocking.”

Witkin has taken other small roles but the most significant one would be his role in American Pie, he never set out to become an actor but it was a fun chapter in his life.

Mr. Witkin currently teaches freshmen and junior students. He states that becoming a teacher allowed him to do what he loves the most, working with students on the field and in the classroom.