‘Entourage’ Actor Jeremy Piven Talks About His Celebrity Life, Stand-Up Comedy, and His Mother’s Influence on His Career

Golden Globe recipient Jeremy Piven, widely recognized for his standout portrayal of Ari Gold on HBO’s Entourage, is sharing insights on his life after the popular show. This includes his unusual fan encounters, a surprising shift to stand-up comedy, and the profound impact his late mother, esteemed acting coach Joyce Piven, had on his career journey.

In an interview with The New Zealand Herald, Piven recounted instances where fans still approach him, expecting an intense Ari-style outburst — sometimes in the most inopportune settings.

“Anger is punishment you inflict on yourself for someone else’s actions — akin to setting your Tesla on fire,” he joked. “Sir, I’m at the urinal, can you hold on one second?” While these requests used to irritate him, he now views them in a new light. “It can be quite awkward, but you develop strategies to manage your anger. Now, I truly perceive it as a blessing… this person has been inspired and affected by the work I’ve done.”

Post-Entourage, Piven shocked fans with a dramatic pivot in Mr Selfridge, playing American retail legend Harry Selfridge in the British series from 2013 to 2016. Despite critical success in the UK, the show struggled to find a U.S. audience.

“In the UK, they do business the old-school way. They’re decent people,” he said. “Instead of striking up a great deal with Amazon, or Netflix or Hulu, they went with PBS… and they have no money to advertise, so not a lot of people saw [Mr Selfridge] here in the States.”

Still, the role earned him acclaim — and even some unexpected confusion. “They said, ‘Oh my God, you’re wonderful… Oh, you’re American? Oh, well, then you’re a s*** actor then!’” he laughed, explaining that some fans thought he was British doing an American accent.

Raised in Chicago, Piven credits his late mother, Joyce Piven, for sparking his love for acting and performance. “She was never big on advice, even though she would give brilliant advice just from her insights and her natural state of being,” he said. “She was a true artist until her last breath, and I was just lucky to know her.”

Her influence lives on in The Performance, Piven’s latest project — a film adaptation of an Arthur Miller short story about a Jewish dancer in 1930s Berlin. “She handed it to me and said, ‘This is a great role for you.’ When she says something, she means it.” The film is directed by his sister, Shira Piven.

Despite his many screen credits — from Spy Kids to Sin City — the stage remains home. “Since I was 8 years old, I’ve been on stage,” he said. “I was also doing improv… kind of writing on your feet doing comedy and all of those things.”

As he continues to evolve, Piven keeps one final lesson from his mother close to heart. “The last book I gave my mom before she died was The Four Agreements, and one of the things in there was to be a person of your word and not to compare yourself to others.”