Jeremy Piven
You’ve got to be sort of cathartic to play a guy like Ari, who has…not no filter, but who is not afraid to say things. Is Ari still in that place, or has becoming a studio head changed him?
Jeremy Piven: I think there’s no hiding who that character is. And he will continue to operate the way he has. There’s only so much I can tell you, to be honest with you. I’m one of these people who would rather show you than tell you through the performance.
When you guys were getting ready to roll, were you already thinking about one-liners or ways you could make the character even more fully fleshed in a movie?
Jeremy Piven: Well I’ve been working on Mr. Selfridge recently, and it’s such a different character and a different show and a different time, different energy, that I kinda left Ari behind, to be honest with you. So when I found out about the movie, I was deep into the Harry Selfridge world. It’s a huge hit over there in the UK and it’s picking up steam over here, too. I couldn’t be more proud of it.
Has it been uncomfortable getting back into this role then?
Jeremy Piven: It has been uncomfortable.
How so?
Jeremy Piven: If you are an incredibly reactive person and you are working on your lowest level, and if you continuously give into your dark side and are angry and screaming, and breaking things, and you do that for hours and hours on end, you are going to be incredibly exhausted. That’s just the way life is.
So the character was a blessing and a curse in the way that it is so fun to play him because he’s so unstable. It’s cathartic, but at the same time, it’s incredibly draining. But I am so grateful to be able to ride with him again in the movie.
So is Ari going to be different because of how you have changed over the years?
Jeremy Piven: Well, I think we are a sum of all of our experiences. Hopefully…my goal, everyone’s goal is to get better at what we do. So I don’t want to repeat what I’ve done. I only want to try to make it better. I think being over in England and acting with the best actors in the world has raised my game.
Over there in England, they use the word proper a lot, but they use it for a reason, because they want to do things right. They go and study acting at a university. They go to conservatory. They work on the stage until they get their break. So I’m acting with the best actors in the world. So, hopefully I’m able to come back and give you a more super powered portrayal of this character. That’s my goal. That’s what I hope to do. We’ll see.
Do you still keep in touch with Martin Landau?
Jeremy Piven: Well, Martin Landau is a guy that we’ve all watched for years. He’s a legend. To have him be a part of our show was amazing. He lends such authenticity because of his connection to Hollywood. So to have a character like that, and have him and Ari work together is, I think, just a stroke of genius.
In answer to your question though, I actually saw him the other day.My heart swells when I see a guy like that. I mean, here he is in his 80’s, and he’s a totally vital presence. And I said, “Martin, we so loved working with you. I hope you had a good time with us.” He said, “Oh, you wouldn’t believe. Whenever I travel all over the world, people always say, ‘Is that something you might be interested in?’” It just makes me so happy that people saw him in Entourage and he’s being exposed to a whole new generation of people. That makes me very happy.
How do you unwind from being Ari? Do you do yoga?
Jeremy Piven: I do yoga. I’ve been doing yoga for over 20 years and I love it. I think, oddly enough, you wouldn’t believe it, but even to do yoga before you play him is, I think, essential because, also, if you notice people when they are angry, they’re at their most calm. They are usually not gasping for breath the way people might portray them. They’re angry, but they’re calm. So you have to kinda come from a very calm state, which is very strange considering it’s such a juxtaposition to the way you see the character.
Speaking of Martin Landau, was there any actor you got to work with on the film who wasn’t part of the series?
Jeremy Piven: I mean, the cameos are insane. When you are looking over and you are playing a scene with Liam Neeson and he’s flipping you off, that’s nuts. When you’ve got Kelsey Grammer and Ed O’Neill and every pro athlete and hip-hop star in the world, and it just goes on, and on, and on. And Jessica Alba is leaning into me, just crushing me. And it’s so fun. I don’t know if there is a contest for cameos, but I would like to enter us into that contest.