The actor is best known for his work on Entourage, but he’s also appeared in a variety of comedy movies like Serendipity and Smokin’ Aces. He has a way of making even the most mundane films interesting, with his wit and charm.
Jeremy Piven was born into an acting family, and began his career as a member of the Second City National Touring Company, giving him a good bit of comic training. Initially, he was relegated to bit parts, but he was quick to grasp the art of being That Guy. He excelled at playing amusingly repellent characters, like the bullying jock in the 80s teen flick Lucas or his obnoxious writer character in the cult sitcom The Larry Sanders Show.
Finding Inspiration: The Impactful Films of Jeremy Piven
He became a regular in a number of popular series, and eventually scored his biggest role to date on the HBO hit Entourage. His dead-on performance as the audacious talent agent Ari Gold grabbed audiences and earned him a Golden Globe Award and three consecutive Emmy nominations.
Piven’s most recent movie is the supernatural gladiator actioner Fight for Your Life, in which he plays a retired boxer who gets pulled into a martial arts underworld of demons and ghosts. He has great chemistry with co-stars Jennifer Morrison and Simon Pegg, and he brings a sense of gravitas to the film that’s often lacking in movies of this genre. He also lends his voice to the character Harv, Lightning McQueen’s agent in the Disney animated feature Cars.