Daily Archives: June 9, 2006
HBO ENTOURAGE
HBO’S ENTOURAGE
SEASON 3 STARTS ON
SUNDAY….
LET’S HUG IT OUT!!!
Here’s the cast:
Adrien Grenier(Vince)
Adrian Grenier received critical acclaim for his dynamic performance in the independent film THE ADVENTURES OF SEBASTIAN COLE. Most recently, he was seen in Woody Allen’s ANYTHING ELSE and LOVE IN THE TIME OF MONEY, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Adrian also appeared in Gregory Hoblit’s HART’S WAR and CECIL B. DEMENTED, written and directed by John Waters. Other credits include roles in CELEBRITY, DRIVE ME CRAZY and HARVARD MAN.
A filmmaker in his own right, Adrian has written and directed several short films and a documentary, SHOT IN THE DARK. Also a gifted self-taught musician, he attended Manhattan’s prestigious LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and the Performing Arts.
Kevin Connolly(Eric)
A young actor who has already displayed a sure hand at both comic and dramatic roles, Kevin Connolly is rapidly establishing himself as a talent on the rise.
Connolly currently stars in the HBO hit series "Entourage," gaining notice as "Eric," the best friend and manager to a young actor whose film career is in its heady first stages. The show was recently nominated for a Golden Globe® for "Best Television Series – Comedy."
Connolly was most recently seen on screen in "The Notebook" with Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams. Directed by Nick Cassavetes, the big-screen adaptation of Nicholas Spark’s bestselling novel featured an old fashioned romantic story of the struggles of a young couple trying to reconnect after being separated by circumstance. The film became a hit as it was quickly embraced by audiences and critics alike.
Additional feature film credits include "Alan & Naomi," "The Beverly Hillbillies," "Angus," "John Q" opposite Denzel Washington, "Antwone Fisher" directed by Denzel Washinton, and "Rocky V," with Sylvester Stallone.
Connolly became a familiar presence as ‘Ryan,’ part of the always struggling and challenged Malloy family in the comedy series, "Unhappily Ever After." In addition, he has also appeared in numerous episodic television shows and TV movies, among them recurring roles on "First Years" and "Great Scott!", guest-starring appearances on "Wings," and roles in the movies-of-the-week; "Kids Killing Kids" and "Up, Up and Away."
Connolly made his directorial debut with the 2003 short "Whatever We Do," starring Robert Downey Jr, Amanda Peet and Zooey Deschanel. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
Kevin Dillon(Johnny Drama)
Kevin Dillon is best known for his performances in Academy Award winning director Oliver Stone’s PLATOON and THE DOORS. Dillon appeared as "Paulie," the son of Ellen Burstyn and Paul Sorvino in the critically acclaimed televison series THAT’S LIFE. He has also starred in such films as HEAVEN HELP US, THE BLOB, IMMEDIATE FAMILY and NO ESCAPE.
Born and raised in New York, Dillon is one of six children. He currently resides in Los Angeles.
Jerry Ferrrara(Turtle)
Jerry Ferrara recently wrapped production on the feature film BROOKLYN RULES, starring with Freddie Prinze Jr., Scott Caan, Alec Baldwin and Mena Suvari.
He began studying theater in college, where he was inspired by a teacher to pursue a career in acting.
An agent he met at a talent showcase encouraged him to move to Los Angeles, where he quickly landed his first role on KING OF QUEENS. Other television parts soon followed.
Jerry was then cast in the independent feature CROSS BRONX which premiered at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival.
Jeremy Piven(Ari)
Piven received a 2005 Golden Globe® nomination for his portrayal of ‘Ari Gold’, a slick, hard talking agent who is the leader of an up-and-coming actor’s entourage. The show is dark and controversial and takes a peek into a side of Hollywood never explored by television, let alone the general public. HBO is known for going where other networks do not dare venture and that is exactly what "Entourage" achieves. Jeremy recently starred as ‘Tom’ in the off-Broadway hit, FAT PIG by Neil LaBute opposite Keri Russell and Andrew McCarthy. For this role he received a 2005 Distinguished Performance Honor/Nomination from the Drama League.
Piven also stars in Scott Marshall’s directorial debut, Lucky 13, a comedy about the competitive world of lavish Bar Mitzvahs opposite Garry Marshall and Jami Gertz . Lucky 13 received the Audience Award at the 2005 Comedy Arts Festival. Piven will next be seen opposite Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey in Universal’s For the Money.
Piven has graced the big screen in over 40 films including Chasing Liberty, Scary Movie 3, Runaway Jury, Old School, Serendipity, Black Hawk Down, Very Bad Things, Rush Hour 2 and The Family Man.
On the small screen Piven has been a series regular on "Cupid" and "Ellen" and has appeared on "The Larry Sanders Show" and in the telepic "Don King: Only in America".
Debi Mazar(Shauna)
a New York native, made her feature film debut in Martin Scorsese’s GOODFELLAS as Ray Liotta’s junkie mistress. From that auspicious beginning, she went to work with such noted directors as Jodi Foster in her directorial debut LITTLE MAN TATE, Barry Levinson’s TOYS, Woody Allen’s BULLETS OVER BROADWAY and Joel Schumacher’s BATMAN FOREVER. Mazar has also made her mark in the independent film world co-starring in such off-beat films as Nick Cassavetes’ SHE’S SO LOVELY and in Steve Buscemi’s directorial debut TREES LOUNGE. She was seen with Al Pacino in THE INSIDER directed by Michael Mann and co-starred opposite Jackie Chan in THE TUXEDO. Her recent film credits include a supporting role in COLLATERAL, again for director Michael Mann and the GET SHORTY sequel BE COOL.
She made her television debut on CIVIL WARS as Denise Iannello, a character who was then transplanted to another primetime show, LA LAW. Mazar developed and starred in her own sitcom TEMPORARILY YOURS for CBS. She was a regular on the series THAT’S LIFE with Ellen Burstyn. Most recently she has had a recurring role on THE PRACTICE
This is a great article on the new season of Entourage
New season of ‘Entourage’ keeps HBO’s reputation afloat
Mekeisha Madden Toby / Detroit News Television Critic
T his is a risky prediction, but "Entourage" just might be the series that saves HBO.
With "The Sopranos" and "Deadwood" on their way out, the cable giant needs a winner, and the buddy comedy about an East Coast guy turned movie star and his pals taking over Hollywood is just the hit to do the trick. It’s the male "Sex and the City" with accents from "The Sopranos."
HBO must think highly of the show, too. It’s using "Entourage" to anchor a testosterone-heavy Sunday night lineup that features the new sitcom "Lucky Louie" and the oddball stand-up reality show "Dane Cook’s Tourgasm."
With so much riding on it, the third season of "Entourage," which kicks off Sunday, will be the perfect time for the series to truly show viewers what it has got — and that’s a lot.
For starters, there’s actor Jeremy Piven. After years of standing in the shadow of his chum and one-time roommate John Cusack, Piven is proving that he has the chops to be compelling, believable and very likeable.
As the inscrutable Ari Gold, Piven steals every scene, rambling off pop-culture perfect slogans such as "hug it out." It wouldn’t be surprising in the least if Neil Patrick Harris modeled his character Barney on CBS’s "How I Met Your Mother" after Piven’s Ari.
Unlike Harris, Piven is ever careful not to be a caricature, making Ari just as vulnerable as he is bombastic. This time around, Ari will be shown in more than a few emotional lights as he attempts to build his own talent-agent empire.
Last season, fans learned that Ari and his boss, Terrance (played wonderfully and wickedly by Malcolm McDowell), were more enemies than friends. When Terrance tried to steal his star client, Vince (Adrian Grenier), away from him, Ari gained the confidence to be his own boss, taking Vince with him.
All at once, Ari finds himself staking the entire fate of his career and company on Vince’s fame. Vince is playing the lead in the movie "Aquaman," and if it proves to be the mega box office hit that everyone expects it to be — the first episode is all about the movie’s red-carpet premiere — then Ari is set. But if it flops, Ari might lose his wife, family and everything he holds dear.
Meanwhile, Vince has to decide who will walk with him down the red carpet. When he picks his mom (the incomparable Mercedes Ruehl), his handler and manager Eric (Kevin Connolly) approves and later has to step in to make sure Vince’s airplane-phobic momma makes the trip.
As usual, Vince’s older and once-famous brother, Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon), and bud Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) add loads of laughs, even going toe-to-toe with actor James Woods, who plays an über psychotic version of himself.
Welcome back, boys. Your network has been waiting for you.
All The Lights In The City Are On 