Jeremy Piven

Infobox actor


imagesize =
birthdate = birth date and age|mf=yes|1965|7|26 [http://www.filmreference.com/film/25/Jeremy-Piven.html "Jeremy Piven Biography (1965-)"] . "Film Reference". Net Industries, LLC.]
birthplace = New York City, U.S.
emmyawards= Outstanding Supporting Actor - Comedy Series
2006, 2007, 2008 "Entourage"
goldenglobeawards = Best Supporting Actor - Series
2008 "Entourage"

Jeremy Samuel Piven (born July 26, 1965) is a three-time Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor.

Biography

Early life

Jeremy Piven was born in New York City and grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and north suburban Chicago. He graduated from Evanston Township High School, [ [http://dandelife.com/story/22054 Dandelife.com : Story : "poo is in *newsweek*", by caroline m ] ] and attended Harand Theater Camp in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, as a teenager. He played the part of "Bernardo" in "West Side Story", there. In Illinois, he trained at Piven Theatre Workshop, [ [http://www.piventheatre.org Piven Theatre Workshop - Home ] ] founded by his parents Byrne Piven and Joyce (née Hiller), both of whom were actors and drama teachers. [ [http://www.hbo.com/entourage/cast/actor/jeremy_piven.html HBO: Jeremy Piven as Ari - Entourage ] ] He has a sister, Shira, [ [http://www.tvguide.com/detail/celebrity.aspx?tvobjectid=156738&more=ucCelebInfo Jeremy Piven Biography | TVGuide.com ] ] and attended Camp Chi, a Jewish Community Center summer camp in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, in the 1970s. He also attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, [ [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48350-2004Jul13.html Jeremy Piven, Employing His Acting Skills (washingtonpost.com) ] ] and was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. [ [http://www.iastatepikes.com/id18.html List of famous PIKES ] ] He spent a semester at the National Theater Institute in Waterford, Connecticut. He has appeared in a number of films with John Cusack, who is also from Evanston and is a fellow alumnus of the Piven Theatre Workshop (as are Cusack's sisters Joan and Ann). Piven and Cusack once shared an apartment and have been friends since high school. [ [http://www.accesshollywood.com/news/ah3421.shtml Access Hollywood ] ]

Career

Piven's first significant role was as a regular castmember for several seasons on HBO's "The Larry Sanders Show", where he played the headwriter Jerry. Piven has appeared in several successful films, including "Grosse Pointe Blank", " Very Bad Things", "The Family Man", "Black Hawk Down," "Heat," "PCU," "Old School" and "Runaway Jury". He also had brief cameo appearances in "Rush Hour 2" and in the US release of "Cars".

Since 2004, Piven has played rambunctious Hollywood agent Ari Gold in the HBO series "Entourage." He received Emmy nominations for best supporting actor four straight years from 2005 to 2008, and won the award in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Piven was also the star and producer of the short-lived ABC dramedy series "Cupid," and was a supporting cast member on the last three seasons of the sitcom "Ellen". He played the part of Ellen's cousin, Spence. He also voiced Elongated Man in three episodes of "Justice League Unlimited".

In 2007, Piven appeared in the video for "Drivin' Me Wild", the third single taken from rapper Common's seventh album "Finding Forever". The two were co-stars in "Smokin' Aces", and appeared together when Piven hosted "SNL" in January 2007. [ [http://snlarc.jt.org/ep.php?i=200701208 SNL Archives | Episode] . Retrieved October 10, 2007.]

Piven performed "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field on Father’s Day, 2006. Piven gave the cue to Chicago Cubs fans by saying, "Let's hug it out, you little bitches," a line he made famous as his character Ari Gold on the hit HBO show "Entourage". The "Chicago Tribune" reported that he was to have said, "Hug it out, Cubs fans." [ [http://people.monstersandcritics.com/article_1174069.php Monsters and Critics - Page Not Found 404 ] ] He apologized on WGN-TV, and later claimed it was an accident during an appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno".

Piven also appeared in local television advertisements for Cincinnati Bell Telephone, a subsidiary of Cincinnati Bell, Inc. He ended each commercial with the tagline, "Welcome to Cincinnati Bell." These advertisements ended on February 28, 2007, as the rights ended on that date. Piven's voice can be heard in national television advertisements for the restaurant Buffalo Wild Wings, in which he delivers the phrase, "Buffalo Wild Wings: You have to be here." He also appeared in Paul Westerberg's "Dyslexic Heart" video for the movie "Singles", and played a balding Michael Barth playing George Costanza on the "Seinfeld" episode "The Pilot".

Piven was in a series of 1998 TV commercials for the Chicago Blackhawks, including one in which he famously proclaimed "Detroit Sucks" from the upper level of the United Center. He hosted "Saturday Night Live" on January 20, 2007 with musical guest AFI. Most recently, Piven appeared as Deputy Chief of Mission Damon Schmidt in "The Kingdom." He also lent his voice to Earth Hour in a video for a campaign urging people to turn off their lights for one hour on March 29, 2008. Currently, Piven is in rehearsals for the first Broadway revival of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow", co-starring "Mad Men" star Elisabeth Moss and three-time Tony nominee Raul Esparza. The production will begin performances on October 3, 2008 in preparation for an October 23 opening.

Personal life

Piven is Jewish, [http://jmag.jdate.com/jmag/0601/piven.htm] and also shares beliefs of many Eastern Religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. [ [http://star-ecentral.com/news/story.asp?file=/2006/10/17/tvnradio/15610460&sec=tvnradio The Star Online eCentral: Jeremy’s journey ] ] Piven starred in the Travel Channel special "Jeremy Piven's Journey of a Lifetime" detailing his journey across India. Former "Saturday Night Live" writer and comedy director Adam McKay is his brother-in-law. Piven is uncle to Pearl from "The Landlord". Piven is also close friends with Common.

Filmography

References

External links

*imdb |0005315
* [http://www.who.com/who/magazine/article/0,19636,7401061218-1566343,00.html Interview on WHO.com with Jeremy Piven and Doug Ellin]