This page uses content from the Jeremy Piven biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.

Jeremy Samuel Piven (born July 26, 1965) is an Emmy Award-winning American actor who currently plays the role of Ari Gold on the HBO series Entourage.

Early life

Piven was born in New York, New York and grew up in Evanston, Illinois, in north suburban Chicago. He attended Camp Chi, a Jewish Community Center camp in Lake Delton, Wisconsin, in the 1970's. He graduated from Evanston Township High School before attending Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. While at Drake he was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) fraternity. He has worked for the Piven Theatre Workshop, which was founded by his parents, Byrne (deceased) and Joyce Hiller Piven. He has appeared in a number of films with close friend John Cusack, who is also from Evanston and is an alumnus of the Piven Theatre Workshop (as are Cusack's sisters Joan and Ann).

Career

Piven currently plays Hollywood agent Ari Gold in the HBO series Entourage. He received an Emmy nomination for best supporting actor in 2005 and won the award in 2006. 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.

Piven says, of Chicago: "I have a place in Chicago and I get there as much as I can. ... The city is so unbelievably beautiful. It's one of the greatest cities on the planet. My heart beats differently when I'm in Chicago. It slows down and I feel more at ease." He also insisted that Cupid be filmed in Chicago.

Although Piven is Jewish, he shares beliefs of many Eastern Religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Piven starred in a Travel Channel special detailing his journey across India.

Trivia

• 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." [1] He apologized on WGN-TV, and later claimed it was an accident during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.
• Currently, Piven can be seen in local television advertisements for Cincinnati Bell Telephone, a subsidiary of Cincinnati Bell, Inc. He ends each commercial with the tagline, "Welcome to Cincinnati Bell."

appeared in Paul Westerburg's 'Dyslexic Heart" video for the movie "Singles".

Filmography

• Smokin' Aces (2007) - Buddy "Aces" Israel
• Cars (2006) - Harv (voice)
• Keeping Up with the Steins (2006) - Adam Fiedler
• Two for the Money (2005) - Jerry
• Chasing Liberty (2004) - Alan Weiss
• Scary Movie 3 (2003) - Ross Giggins
• Runaway Jury (2003) - Lawrence Green
• Old School (2003) - Dean Gordon Pritchard (aka Cheese)
• Me and Daphne (2002) - Interviewer
• Highway (2002) - Scawldy
• Black Hawk Down (2001) - CWO Cliff 'Elvis' Wolcott
• Serendipity (2001) - Dean Kansky
• Rush Hour 2 (2001) - Versace Salesman
• The Family Man (2000) - Arnie
• The Crew (2000) - Det. Steve Menteer
• Red Letters (2000) - Thurston Clarque
• Music From Another Room (1998) - Billy Swan
• Very Bad Things (1998) - Michael Berkow
• Phoenix (1998) - Fred Shuster
• Don King: Only in America (1997) TV movie - Hank Schwartz
• Kiss the Girls (1997) - Henry Castillo, LAPD
• Livers Ain't Cheap (1997) - John
• Grosse Pointe Blank (1997) - Paul Spericki
• Just Write (1997) - Harold McMurphy
• Larger Than Life (1996) - Walter
• E=mc2 (1996) - Dr. Paul Higgins
• Layin' Low (1996) - Jerry
• Heat (1995) - Dr. Bob
• Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995) - Pete Walston
• Miami Rhapsody (1995) - Mitchell
• PCU (1994) - James 'Droz' Andrews
• Car 54, Where Are You? (1994) - Herbert Hortz
• Floundering (1994) - Guy
• The Ticket (1994) - Miles Mountjoy
• Twogether (1994) - Arnie
• Twenty Bucks (1993) - Nervous Quick-Mart Clerk
• Judgment Night (1993) - Ray Cochran
• 12:01 (1993) TV movie - Howard Richter
• There Goes the Neighborhood (1992) - Albert Lodge
• Singles (1992) - Doug Hughley
• Bob Roberts (1992) - Candle Seller
• Body Chemistry II: The Voice of a Stranger (1992) - Patrolman
• The Player (1992) - Steve Reeves
• White Palace (1990) - Kahn
• The Grifters (1990) - Sailor - Freshman
• Say Anything... (1989) - Mark
• Elvis Stories (1989) - Lenny
• One Crazy Summer (1986) - Ty
• Lucas (1986) - Spike

TV series

• Entourage (2004-) - Ari Gold
• Justice League Unlimited (2004) - Elongated Man
• Will & Grace (2000-) - Love Plus One
• Partners (1999) (pilot) - Nick
• Cupid (1998) - Trevor Hale
• Ellen (1994) - Spence Kovak (1995-1998)
• Pride & Joy (1995) TV Series - Nathan Green
• Seinfeld (1993) - "George" in the TV show 'Jerry' in Season 4 episodes "The Pilot (1)" and "The Pilot (2)"
• The Larry Sanders Show (1992) - Jerry Capen (1992-1993)
• Rugrats (1991) - additional voices
• Carol & Company (1990) - skit characters

Piven also appears in commerials for the Cincinnati-based phone company Cincinnati Bell.

External links

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