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Once again the NYT has some really nice things to say about Entourage.
By DAVID HOCHMAN
Published: August 16, 2005
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 - Rehashing box office grosses is so 2004. This summer, the hot subject at talent agencies and power breakfasts here has been the HBO series "Entourage."
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Forum: Television
" 'Did you hear what Ari said?' is now a regular feature of our Monday staff meetings," said Jeremy Zimmer, a founding partner at United Talent Agency. He was referring to Ari Gold, the show's insufferable talent agent, played by Jeremy Piven in an expensive Caesar haircut. Meanwhile, at International Creative Management, the agent Brian Sher said he got huge laughs by announcing at a staff meeting that the priority project at Warner Brothers this fall would be "Aquaman." That's the show's fictional underwater action movie starring the groovy pop idol of "Entourage," Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier), and directed by James Cameron (the actual director of "Titanic" and "Terminator 2" fame, playing himself).
"Even the most senior agents got the joke," Mr. Sher said. " 'Entourage' has become part of the fabric of what we do."
In its sophomore season, the fizzy, insidery comedy about Vince and his "entourage" from Queens trying to make it in Hollywood has hit its stride, much the way "Sex and the City," the previous HBO sensation about four friends in search of fabulousness, free stuff and booty, did in season two. The Aug. 7 episode was the most-watched show in the series's history, according to Nielsen Media Research.
"I can tell something clicked because people are constantly e-mailing and calling and saying they want to do the show," said Doug Ellin, the show's creator and head writer. "But it wasn't like we consciously went out and said, 'This is gonna be our big year.' "
Yet, almost everything about "Entourage" is bigger this season: the budget is substantially higher, the writing staff has roughly doubled, its guest stars - including U2 and Mr. Cameron, who has a recurring role - are more impressive, and its plot lines more ambitious. Whereas the original eight episodes depicted its young characters as grateful for small breaks in indie films, by now Vince and his posse are grappling with a level of glitzy good times worthy of Us Weekly.
"We didn't truly know the show or these characters last year," said Rob Weiss, a co-producer and one of series's original writers.
Mr. Weiss's own Hollywood experience has provided ample fodder for the series. After making a big splash at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993 with "Amongst Friends," which he wrote and directed, he got a three-picture deal at Universal Pictures and dated celebrities like the actress Shannen Doherty, only to watch his career fizzle. "Hollywood success is a seesaw ride," Mr. Weiss said in an interview, "and it takes a while to figure out where you're going, which was true for our characters, too."
Each of the show's main players has "more to do" this season, said Mr. Ellin, who writes most of the episodes. Vince is adjusting to A-list stardom while wrestling with complicated feelings for his "Aquaman" costar, Mandy Moore. His manager, Eric (Kevin Connolly), is making the move from lackey to power broker. Ari gets to prove he's actually human, more or less, by opening the doors on his home life (though it's tough to feel compassion for a guy who chooses his star client over Grandpa to cut the challah at his daughter's bat mitzvah). Even Vince's half brother, Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon), and his friend Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), who round out his "entourage," are reckoning with who they really are. Johnny, for instance, realized calf implants wouldn't make him manlier after all.
"The show has always been about the shallow moment-by-moment existence of life in the business," Mr. Ellin said, whether that entails deciding which plasma screen to buy or supermodel to date. "But we keep discovering subtleties, like, in Hollywood, even a guy who makes $5 million is constantly insecure and struggling."
One obvious change this season is that HBO hired new writers, including Chris Henchy and Brian Burns, both of whom are well situated to write about being on the periphery of fame. Mr. Henchy is married to Brooke Shields, and Mr. Burns is the brother of the director Ed Burns. They are also primarily known as television writers, whereas Mr. Ellin and Mr. Weiss have written mostly screenplays. The former Seinfeld writer Larry Charles is also on board. That may be one reason the series's episodes are now developing along a more traditional season-long trajectory: Vince gets "Aquaman," Vince loses "Aquaman," Vince gets "Aquaman" as long as he doesn't mess things up with Mandy.
The flashier locations also help. This season, with its higher production budget, "Entourage" shot scenes during the Sundance Festival, at a live U2 concert and courtside during a real Lakers game. This last setting provided a delicious meta-"Entourage" moment. The show's five stars sat in the $2,000 seats normally reserved for Ari Emanuel, the real-life Hollywood talent agent who is the model for Mr. Piven's character.
"We keep pushing these guys into situations and opportunities they'd really be in if they were living this life," Mr. Weiss said.
In a weird way, though perhaps not surprisingly, the show's increasing popularity is giving its stars more opportunities to live like the characters they play.
"I was at a party in the Hamptons this weekend with some buddies I grew up with," said Mr. Connolly, an actor who had always been the lesser light among his close friends Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. "All of a sudden, they part the way for us to get in and it's, like, 'What can we do for you?' So, yeah, I guess the show is definitely registering."
By DAVID HOCHMAN
Published: August 16, 2005
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 14 - Rehashing box office grosses is so 2004. This summer, the hot subject at talent agencies and power breakfasts here has been the HBO series "Entourage."
Skip to next paragraph
Readers
Forum: Television
" 'Did you hear what Ari said?' is now a regular feature of our Monday staff meetings," said Jeremy Zimmer, a founding partner at United Talent Agency. He was referring to Ari Gold, the show's insufferable talent agent, played by Jeremy Piven in an expensive Caesar haircut. Meanwhile, at International Creative Management, the agent Brian Sher said he got huge laughs by announcing at a staff meeting that the priority project at Warner Brothers this fall would be "Aquaman." That's the show's fictional underwater action movie starring the groovy pop idol of "Entourage," Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier), and directed by James Cameron (the actual director of "Titanic" and "Terminator 2" fame, playing himself).
"Even the most senior agents got the joke," Mr. Sher said. " 'Entourage' has become part of the fabric of what we do."
In its sophomore season, the fizzy, insidery comedy about Vince and his "entourage" from Queens trying to make it in Hollywood has hit its stride, much the way "Sex and the City," the previous HBO sensation about four friends in search of fabulousness, free stuff and booty, did in season two. The Aug. 7 episode was the most-watched show in the series's history, according to Nielsen Media Research.
"I can tell something clicked because people are constantly e-mailing and calling and saying they want to do the show," said Doug Ellin, the show's creator and head writer. "But it wasn't like we consciously went out and said, 'This is gonna be our big year.' "
Yet, almost everything about "Entourage" is bigger this season: the budget is substantially higher, the writing staff has roughly doubled, its guest stars - including U2 and Mr. Cameron, who has a recurring role - are more impressive, and its plot lines more ambitious. Whereas the original eight episodes depicted its young characters as grateful for small breaks in indie films, by now Vince and his posse are grappling with a level of glitzy good times worthy of Us Weekly.
"We didn't truly know the show or these characters last year," said Rob Weiss, a co-producer and one of series's original writers.
Mr. Weiss's own Hollywood experience has provided ample fodder for the series. After making a big splash at the Sundance Film Festival in 1993 with "Amongst Friends," which he wrote and directed, he got a three-picture deal at Universal Pictures and dated celebrities like the actress Shannen Doherty, only to watch his career fizzle. "Hollywood success is a seesaw ride," Mr. Weiss said in an interview, "and it takes a while to figure out where you're going, which was true for our characters, too."
Each of the show's main players has "more to do" this season, said Mr. Ellin, who writes most of the episodes. Vince is adjusting to A-list stardom while wrestling with complicated feelings for his "Aquaman" costar, Mandy Moore. His manager, Eric (Kevin Connolly), is making the move from lackey to power broker. Ari gets to prove he's actually human, more or less, by opening the doors on his home life (though it's tough to feel compassion for a guy who chooses his star client over Grandpa to cut the challah at his daughter's bat mitzvah). Even Vince's half brother, Johnny Drama (Kevin Dillon), and his friend Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), who round out his "entourage," are reckoning with who they really are. Johnny, for instance, realized calf implants wouldn't make him manlier after all.
"The show has always been about the shallow moment-by-moment existence of life in the business," Mr. Ellin said, whether that entails deciding which plasma screen to buy or supermodel to date. "But we keep discovering subtleties, like, in Hollywood, even a guy who makes $5 million is constantly insecure and struggling."
One obvious change this season is that HBO hired new writers, including Chris Henchy and Brian Burns, both of whom are well situated to write about being on the periphery of fame. Mr. Henchy is married to Brooke Shields, and Mr. Burns is the brother of the director Ed Burns. They are also primarily known as television writers, whereas Mr. Ellin and Mr. Weiss have written mostly screenplays. The former Seinfeld writer Larry Charles is also on board. That may be one reason the series's episodes are now developing along a more traditional season-long trajectory: Vince gets "Aquaman," Vince loses "Aquaman," Vince gets "Aquaman" as long as he doesn't mess things up with Mandy.
The flashier locations also help. This season, with its higher production budget, "Entourage" shot scenes during the Sundance Festival, at a live U2 concert and courtside during a real Lakers game. This last setting provided a delicious meta-"Entourage" moment. The show's five stars sat in the $2,000 seats normally reserved for Ari Emanuel, the real-life Hollywood talent agent who is the model for Mr. Piven's character.
"We keep pushing these guys into situations and opportunities they'd really be in if they were living this life," Mr. Weiss said.
In a weird way, though perhaps not surprisingly, the show's increasing popularity is giving its stars more opportunities to live like the characters they play.
"I was at a party in the Hamptons this weekend with some buddies I grew up with," said Mr. Connolly, an actor who had always been the lesser light among his close friends Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire. "All of a sudden, they part the way for us to get in and it's, like, 'What can we do for you?' So, yeah, I guess the show is definitely registering."
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