Jeremy Piven biography

Synopsis

Jeremy Piven is an American actor best known for her role as Ari Gold on the television series Entourage. His parents founded the Piven Theatre Workshop, from which he received his training. He won three Primetime Emmy Awards for three years in a row for his performance as a Hollywood agent. In 2008, Piven abruptly left the cast of the the Broadway show Speed-the-Plow due to mercury poisoning.

Profile

Actor. Born Jeremy Samuel Piven on July 26, 1965 in New York City. Piven grew up in the northern Chicago suburb of Evanston, Illinois, and attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Throughout his life, he has been involved with the acclaimed Piven Theatre Workshop, which was founded by his parents, Byrne and Joyce Piven. He received his comic training as a member of the Second City National Touring Company.

From theater Piven moved to the big screen, appearing in small roles in several films, including 1989's Say Anything, 1992's Singles and 1995's Heat. The actor has received the most acclaim, however, from his television work, first on HBO's The Larry Sanders Show in 1992 and then on Ellen in 1995. He also starred in and produced the short-lived ABC dramedy Cupid. In 2004, Piven was cast as Ari Gold in the hit HBO series Entourage. He won an Emmy Award for his performance as the fast-talking Hollywood agent three years in a row??in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

In December 2008, Piven became the subject of some ridicule for leaving the cast of a Broadway revival of David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow before the end of its run. He was reportedly too ill to perform and was said to be suffering from mercury poisoning, which was a result of eating too much sushi.

Some did not believe Piven's claims, including playwright David Mamet. Mamet quipped at the time, "My understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer."

While this incident may have affected his future on the stage, Piven remains a popular actor on television and in film. His most recent big screen effort is The Goods with Ed Helms and Ving Rhames