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Jeremy Piven killed it at the Chicago Improv in Schaumburg, Illinois Feb. 9, 2024

Jeremy Piven kills it at Chicago Improv comedy club in Schaumburg

Posted on February 10, 2024February 10, 2024 By Ray Hanania No Comments on Jeremy Piven kills it at Chicago Improv comedy club in Schaumburg
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Jeremy Piven kills it at Chicago Improv comedy club in Schaumburg

By Ray Hanania

One of entertainments most absorbing television comedy-dramas series was Entourage, which ran eight seasons from 2004 until 2011. The series portrayed the character-driven world of Hollywood and Los Angeles, and glowed brightly with compelling and must watch entertainment scripts and scenarios.

I have binged watched it several times from start to finish. It’s that good.

Every season of Entourage ranked up there with Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm in appeal.

It included a phenomenal cast of characters played by Adrian Grenier, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrera as “Turtle,” and Rex Lee.

 

But the real series personality magnet that brought the series all together was actor and comedian Jeremy Piven who played “Ari Gold,” the explosive talent agent on the HBO production.

Jeremy Piven killed it at the Chicago Improv in Schaumburg, Illinois Feb. 9, 2024
Jeremy Piven killed it at the Chicago Improv in Schaumburg, Illinois Feb. 9, 2024

 

Piven was Entourage. Without him, it would not have worked. His character drove the most powerful compelling scenes.

The amazing thing about Piven is that his talent is so natural. He didn’t have to act to play Ari Gold. It was embedded in him to be witty, sarcastic, tough, mean and fast on the draw with quips and personality. He kept the show alive, but never really got the recognition that he deserved.

Entourage was not his only prominent acting venue. He’s done so much, a Chicagoland native from Evanston where his mother runs the Piven Theatre at the Noyes Cultural Center. His acting resume is extensive, but in my opinion Entourage is the top of his stardom.

Piven killed it recently on the Improv stage in Schaumburg, Illinois as the headliner. Sixty minutes of belly laughing humor, social satire and Ari Gold personality that comes natural to him.

It was really enjoyable.

I hope Piven does more.

Piven’s official bio

Jeremy Piven was most recently seen as a series regular in the CBS television series WISDOM OF THE CROWD. He was also recently seen as Harry Gordon Selfridge in the popular PBS series MR. SELFRIDGE. Among his many notable roles, Piven is best known as movie agent “Ari Gold” in the hit HBO series ENTOURAGE, which aired for eight seasons and won Piven three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe.

In 2015, Piven reprised the fan-favorite role in the ENTOURAGE feature film released by Warner Bros. He was also seen in SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR from directors Frank Miller and Robert Rodriguez. Jeremy’s extensive career in television also includes the satirical THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW.

In film, he starred in Mark Pellington’s drama I MELT WITH YOU, Gaby Dellal’s heart-wrenching ANGELS CREST, Gary Fleder’s RUNAWAY JURY, Todd Phillips’s hit comedy OLD SCHOOL, Ridley Scott’s BLACK HAWK DOWN, Peter Chelsom’s SERENDIPITY, Brett Ratner’s THE FAMILY MAN, Peter Berg’s VERY BAD THINGS and THE KINGDOM, Cameron Crowe’s SINGLES, Joe Carnahan’s SMOKIN ACES, Guy Ritchie’s ROCKNROLLA, and THE PLAYER for director Robert Altman. In 2005, Piven returned to his theater roots starring in the off-Broadway hit FAT PIG by Neil LaBute, for which he received a Distinguished Performance Honor from the Drama League. He also appeared as Bobby Gould on Broadway in SPEED THE PLOW.

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Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.  

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

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Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
  • Hastings announces legislation to ensure fair homeowners insurance rates for Illinois families - October 29, 2025
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  • Village of Orland Park Rededicates Village Hall in Honor of Late Former Mayor Fredrick T. Owens - October 29, 2025
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Comedy, Culture, Entertainment, Humor, News, Suburban Chicagoland, Television, Theater Tags:Ari Gold, Chicago Improv Woodfield, Entourage, humor, Jeremy Piven, Jeremy Piven kills it, performance, satire, standp comedy

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