Shannon Elizabeth, Who Played Nadia in 'American Pie,' to Join OnlyFans

Shannon Elizabeth's putting her finger in the OnlyFans pie ... launching her own profile to take full ownership of her sexiness, she tells TMZ.

The actress -- who starred as Nadia in "American Pie" way back in 1999 -- tells us she's starting an OnlyFans account, set to go up Thursday, because she's tired of a career spent in Hollywood ... where other people have controlled the narrative and the outcome of her career.

Elizabeth says this new chapter's about changing the power dynamics ... as well as having a closer relationship with her fans ... and "showing off a more sexy side no one has seen."

She says OnlyFans is the perfect platform for her ... because of the direct creator-to-fan interface and the opportunity for fans to enjoy her content creation. Elizabeth's recent public appearances -- where she says she reconnected with fans -- reminded her of their ongoing support ... and made her miss all that energy of connection.

She says, "OnlyFans gives me the opportunity to offer something more -- a behind the scenes, unfiltered look at my life and a genuine connection that no other platform allows."

Elizabeth adds this is also where she'll be sharing exclusive content fans simply can't find anywhere else -- which will have a real personal feel to it.

Worth noting ... Elizabeth is actively involved with her own foundation ... and, she's still based in South Africa. She says her charity work remains close to her heart, but this just feels like the right time to open up her world to fans.

Elizabeth broke out in H'wood as foreign exchange student Nadia who tries to have sex with Jason Biggs' Jim Levenstein. In the years since, she's grabbed roles in "Scary Movie," "Love Actually," "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back," and many more projects.

We spoke with Andy Bachman -- an expert in content creation and the CEO of Creators Inc., a company that supports social media stars -- and asked him what he thinks about Shannon getting in on the OF craze ... and, he says it isn't surprising.

Bachman says people don't realize how much power and control OF provides ... and creators can make beaucoup bucks by monetizing directly on the platform. He also says, "Shannon has always been someone who genuinely enjoys connecting with and giving back to her fans, and this allows her to do that in a more direct, meaningful way than ever before."