While in Australia for his live stand-up shows, we chat to the brilliant actor, comic and star of film, TV and stage – or, as you may know him, the guy who played Ari Gold in the hit TV series Entourage…
Hey, Jeremy, the last time we spoke to you, it was 2015 and the Entourage movie was about to be released. Where the hell have you been since then?
So, you’re asking me what I’ve been doing for the last nine years? That’s your first question? OK, no, it’s great. You’re off to a great start. I love that. Fantastic. It’s incredibly specific and inspiring. Let’s go, man!
Ha! Shit, maybe I should’ve kicked off this interview differently?
No, no, no. I have this horrible, horrible tick where I speak the truth as I know it and it just gets me into trouble. It’s a horrible quality to have. It’s all good. Since we last spoke, I’ve been doing many, many things. I’ve been after a film that I got the rights to just before we spoke in 2015. It’s an adaptation of an Arthur Miller short story that my sister adapted and directed, and I produced and starred in. It took this long to find the money and shoot the film, but we finished it and it’s the best work of my life. We’re shopping it around as we speak and we’re going to the Miami Film Festival this month.
Tell us more.
Arthur Miller is a Pulitzer Prize winning author who is an American treasure. He wrote a short story that, at the time, was his response to 9-11, but it’s about a Jewish tap dancer who hides his identity to become successful and dances for Hitler in 1937. It’s really a film about how far will one go? How much of yourself will you compromise to become successful? Kind of like how I feel at this exact moment [laughs]. But, I’ve also been on the road doing stand-up since about 2017.
Well, you started out in comedy so…
Yeah, I grew up doing sketch comedy and improv at Second City in Chicago, but I can’t wait to perform in Melbourne and Sydney in these big, beautiful theatres. I love comedy. I love getting up there. I learned very quickly, in 2017, that even though I’ve been on stage since I was eight, that if I didn’t do a couple hundred shows a year then there’s no need to even attempt it – because you need that many reps to get good.
What can Australian audiences expect from your stand-up shows?
I’m all over the map. I tell a lot of stories about revealing who I am, to speak the truth on stage. Behind the scenes of running lines with my mum – everything I said as Ari Gold, I said to her face – she had to sit there and take all the abusive language. She’s an actress, a director and a teacher – she never flinched. I run lines with her to this day, she’s incredible and inspiring to me.
She’s your best co-star.
She is. Yeah, she’s played Drama, Turtle, E, all of them.
Speaking of the Entourage cast, you guys were practically kings of Hollywood back in those days. What was it like and how good were the perks?
You know, it’s funny, I won the Fresh Face of the Year award at 37 years old. It’s one of those things where it happened for me a little bit later on, and I was lucky enough to kind of not be a kid. I think when kids are famous, it’s very confusing. So, I had been grinding for a while. You also have to understand it was also a different time – there really wasn’t social media. So, I don’t think I was as aware then as I would be now. Are there certain perks? Absolutely. You can get a better table and things like that, but I come from an acting family and the perks to me are being able to work. My father said success means having a choice in this life. And if you have a choice of roles, then that’s success. It doesn’t matter on what level. If you’re scrounging and doing a puppet show on the street, that’s brutal. But you have options as an actor and that’s true success. So, I’m very grateful to be a working actor and stand-up comic.
Have you ever felt like you’ve died on stage during a stand-up gig?
Yeah, I’ve bombed before. I bombed in front of a handful of people at this dive bar. It’s terrifying and torturous and your instinct is to just get off stage, but if you can hang in there and somehow dig your way out, you’re going to get better.
How does Jeremy Piven want to leave this world?
Oh, MAXIM, here we are! This is the good stuff. Wow, thank you. It’s almost like being waterboarded. It’s interesting. You know, it’s hard to say – that’s an existential question.
OK then, what’s the greatest Jeremy Piven body of work that’s never seen the light of day?
Now, that’s a great question! Jamie Foxx wrote and directed, and I starred opposite him, in a movie called All-Star Weekend. Benicio del Toro is in it, Robert Downey Jr., Eva Longoria, Gerard Butler… and it’s never seen the light of day. We need to get Jamie to release that.
That’s the basketball movie and you’re a fan of the Chicago Bulls. Will they make the NBA playoffs this year?
It’s hard to say at this point. They’ve got a lot of talent, they’re really fun to watch and they’re on the cusp. So, we’re rooting for them. But, you know, I watched Melbourne play Tasmania the other night – that’ll surprise you.
What did you think of our NBL?
It felt like I was being waterboarded. No, I’m just kidding! By the way, sarcasm does not print – I need to stop trying to make you laugh because it’ll come out and I’ll look like such an asshole. You’ve got great basketball players in Australia.
What’s the worst joke you’ve ever heard?
Let me see. The worst joke is… People compare Trump to Hitler. That’s insane – Hitler had a plan.
Before you go, this is your first time in Australia – what do you think?
I love it here. The energy, the feeling, the people – just decent people, you know? I’m having a great time. And the coffee is incredible – you don’t allow Starbucks, which is fantastic. So, you know, I really miss my overpriced burnt coffee – said no-one ever. I will say, though, that one of the national pastimes of Australians is taking the piss and they really value their humour. So, it’s an honour to get up and perform for you, Australia – the stakes are high, and I can’t wait to get up at these beautiful theatres and do my thing.
Interview by SANTI PINTADO
To check out Jeremy Piven’s live comedy show at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne on April 2 or the State Theatre in Sydney on April 4 go to ticketmaster.com.au
