Before he was the literal face of American virtue, Chris Evans was naked. Well, mostly naked. He was covered in shaving cream—meant to look like whipped cream—with a banana wedged into a very specific anatomical location. It is the kind of image that stays with you, for better or worse.
Honestly, it’s wild to look back at 2001 and realize that the man who would eventually lead the Avengers got his big break by playing a parody of Freddie Prinze Jr.
Not Another Teen Movie wasn't trying to be high art. Evans has said as much himself, famously joking that "the movie had me stick a banana in my ass, it wasn't exactly some highbrow art." But here’s the thing: he’s actually being a bit too modest. If you revisit the film now, past the raunchy humor and the early-2000s gross-out gags, you’ll see something surprising. Chris Evans was already a powerhouse of comedic timing.
He didn't just play the jock. He dissected the jock.
The Making of Jake Wyler
In the film, Evans plays Jake Wyler, the "Popular Jock" at John Hughes High School. The character is a direct send-up of Zack Siler from She’s All That, right down to the bet about turning a "pretty ugly girl" (Chyler Leigh) into the prom queen.
But Evans doesn't just do an impression. He brings this bizarre, earnest intensity to the role that makes the jokes land ten times harder.
When he shouts, "But she's got glasses! And a ponytail!" it isn't just a line. He sounds genuinely, existentially distressed by the idea that a ponytail could be a fatal flaw. That is the secret sauce of Not Another Teen Movie Chris Evans. He committed to the bit with the same level of focus he’d later bring to saving the world from Thanos.
That Infamous Whipped Cream Scene
We have to talk about the sundae. You know the one.
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It was a parody of Ali Larter’s iconic scene in Varsity Blues. In the original, it’s meant to be sexy. In Not Another Teen Movie, it’s a disaster.
- The Material: They couldn't use real whipped cream because the hot studio lights would have melted it into a puddle in seconds. They used shaving cream instead.
- The Discomfort: Shaving cream isn't exactly meant to sit on your skin for hours. It’s actually pretty caustic if left too long.
- The Reveal: The punchline of the scene—when Jake turns around to show the banana split—is arguably the moment Hollywood realized Evans was willing to do absolutely anything for a laugh.
It’s easy to dismiss this as "lowbrow," but think about the physical comedy required. He has to walk into a room, look seductive, and maintain a straight face while covered in foam. Most actors would wink at the camera. Evans didn't. He played it like he was in a serious drama.
Why This Role Was Actually Vital for His Career
A lot of people think Evans just "got lucky" with Marvel later on. That’s not really how it works.
Before he was Captain America, he was Johnny Storm in Fantastic Four. And before he was Johnny Storm, he was the guy who could carry a comedy. Not Another Teen Movie proved he had "the look," sure, but it also proved he had the charisma to lead an ensemble.
The early 2000s were flooded with parody movies. Most of them—like Date Movie or Epic Movie—were pretty terrible. They relied on "look-alike" humor. Not Another Teen Movie was different because it actually understood the movies it was mocking.
The John Hughes Connection
The film is set at John Hughes High, a name that honors the director of The Breakfast Club and Sixteen Candles.
The movie manages to reference everything from 10 Things I Hate About You to Cruel Intentions. While the script is sharp, it’s the cast that keeps it from falling apart. Beside Evans, you had Chyler Leigh (who went on to Grey’s Anatomy and Supergirl), Jaime Pressly, and even a cameo from the legendary Molly Ringwald herself.
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Evans functioned as the anchor. If Jake Wyler wasn't likable, the whole "She's All That" parody would have felt mean-spirited. Instead, Jake feels like a sweet, albeit incredibly dim-witted, guy who is just trying his best to follow the "rules" of being a protagonist.
Dealing With the "Terrible Movie" Label
In a 2009 interview with The Boston Globe, Evans actually listed Not Another Teen Movie as one of his "terrible" early films. He lumped it in with The Perfect Score and The Orphan King.
I think he’s wrong about that.
The fans certainly think so. On Reddit and film forums, the movie has a massive cult following. Millennials who grew up on the very movies it parodies—American Pie, Bring It On, Can't Hardly Wait—view it as a masterpiece of the genre.
It’s "stupid-smart." It takes a lot of intelligence to deconstruct a genre that thoroughly.
Essential Details You Might Have Missed
If you haven't seen the movie in a decade, there are some layers you probably didn't catch as a kid.
Take the scoreboard, for example. In the background of the football scenes, there’s a counter for how many concussions the character Reggie Ray has left before he literally dies. It’s dark, it’s fast, and it’s a perfect parody of the "win at all costs" sports movie trope.
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Then there’s the "Token Black Guy" character, Malik, played by Deon Richmond. The movie explicitly calls out how teen movies use minority characters as background noise. Malik actually has a line where he says, "I'm the token black guy. I'm just here to provide comic relief and say things like 'Damn!' and 'That is wack!'"
This kind of meta-commentary was way ahead of its time.
The Musical Numbers
Let’s not forget the Aerosmith parody. Jake serenading Janey with "Janie's Got a Gun" in the middle of a school cafeteria is peak cringe-comedy.
Evans sings it with this earnest, soulful look in his eyes, completely ignoring the fact that the lyrics are about a girl who, well, has a gun. It’s a brilliant mockery of the "grand gesture" trope seen in 10 Things I Hate About You.
What This Means for Evans Fans Today
If you’re a fan of Chris Evans mostly through the MCU, you owe it to yourself to watch this. It’s the "before" picture.
It shows his range. Most actors who start in parodies get stuck there. They become "the comedy guy." Evans managed to use that charm as a stepping stone. You can see the DNA of Steve Rogers’ sincerity in Jake Wyler’s earnestness, even if Jake is much more of an idiot.
The movie is a time capsule. It captures a specific moment in pop culture history where we were starting to realize how formulaic our entertainment had become.
Next Steps for the Viewer:
If you want to dive deeper into this era of Evans' career, watch the "making of" featurettes on the DVD or Blu-ray. The cast commentary featuring Evans and Chyler Leigh is genuinely funny and shows just how much they were all "in on the joke" during production. You should also check out Sunshine (2007) right after, just to see the sheer whiplash of his acting range from parody to high-stakes sci-fi.