 "Photo: Tommy Giglio/The Daily Northwestern")
By Christina Amoroso The Daily Northwestern
Jeremy Piven said he never thought he'd receive so much adoration from the Northwestern community.
"Never in your lives have you given this much love to a townie," he said Thursday, referring to the often strained relations between NU students and Evanston, where Piven grew up.
The crowd gave him much love, indeed. When the doors of Pick-Staiger Concert Hall opened, students rushed them, pushing and shoving their way in. Piven, who plays the foul-mouthed superagent Ari Gold on HBO's "Entourage," entered the stage to a standing ovation from the audience.
Wearing a purple sweater, a dark blazer and jeans, Piven began his speech talking about his days growing up in Evanston and playing football for Evanston Township High School.
"Most actors are really frustrated athletes," he said jokingly.
He also said he worked as a lifeguard for NU while he was in high school.
Piven has been acting since childhood, getting his start at his parents' Piven Theatre Workshop, a standby of the Chicago theater scene. He later was a member of the Second City National Touring Company and was first widely recognized for his role as writer Jerry Capen on "The Larry Sanders Show."
Before the actor picked up a 2006 Emmy award for his role on "Entourage," he spent a large part of his career performing character roles in films ranging from "Black Hawk Down" to "Old School."
Piven told stories chronicling his struggle to make it as an actor. He advised students pursuing acting to take whatever auditions they can get. Even he went on auditions after doing many films, he said.
He also said he would take small roles just so he could be surrounded by "great" actors such as Dustin Hoffman.
"You have to have an incredibly thick skin to be an actor … You have to deal with so much rejection. It's crazy," he said.
Piven said that early in his career, he found difficulty stepping out from his parents' shadow. He recalled an acting professor from his first year in college at Drake University who said, "Everything I've learned comes from your father."
The professor had clearly forgotten most of her lessons, Piven added.
After a few minutes of talking about his life, he paused.
"I feel like this is a really bad date where I'm talking about myself," he said.
He then took questions from a moderator and from the audience.
At one point, a woman in the back stood up and said: "It's my birthday. Can we hug it out?"
He told her to come down, and she walked on stage and hugged him.
Piven also talked about how his influences, including agent Ari Emmanuel upon whom the character is based, have shaped how he plays Ari. He said "Entourage" is a very accurate portrayal of Hollywood and that all the characters are derived from real people.
"There are agents like Ari," he said.
While Piven began earning a college audience in films like "Old School" and "PCU," most students seemed to have come for a chance to see the man behind Ari Gold in the flesh.
"I'm just excited to see him in person," said Weinberg sophomore Sarah Conant.
Still, students said they left with an impression of Piven's real-life personality.
"He's so engaging," said Communication junior Meghan Mackenzie. "You get a sense of who he is."
Reach Christina Amoroso at c-amoroso@northwestern.edu.
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