Jeremy Piven

Jeremy Piven Bio

Jeremy Samuel Piven, born on July 26, 1965, in New York City, is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Ari Gold in the comedy series Entourage, for which he won a Golden Globe Award and three consecutive Emmy Awards. He also played the title role in the British period drama Mr Selfridge, and portrayed Spence Kovak on Ellen DeGeneres’s sitcom Ellen.

Over a career that began in the early 1980s, Piven has built a reputation as a versatile performer comfortable in comedy, drama, and voice work. His television and film credits span more than three decades, and he is widely recognized for bringing sharp, fast-talking characters to life on screen.

Early Life and Background

Jeremy Samuel Piven was born in Manhattan to a Reconstructionist Jewish family. His parents were Byrne Piven and Joyce Hiller Piven, both actors and drama teachers. His elder sister is director Shira Piven, whom he has described as one of his first acting teachers.

Piven grew up in Evanston, Illinois, and graduated from Evanston Township High School. As a teenager, he attended Harand Theater Camp in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where he played Bernardo in West Side Story. In Illinois, he trained at the Piven Theatre Workshop, founded by his parents.

He later attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, departing after his sophomore year to enroll at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. He left Tisch during his senior year to pursue his acting career. He is also an alumnus of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity and spent a semester at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut.

Path to Acting

Raised in a household shaped by theater, Piven developed an early comfort with performance through the Piven Theatre Workshop and the local Chicago-area stage scene. His teenage role as Bernardo in West Side Story at Harand Theater Camp marked one of his earliest meaningful stage credits.

After leaving NYU, Piven began booking small parts in film and television. He appeared in several films alongside John Cusack, a fellow Evanston native and Piven Theatre Workshop alumnus, including early projects that helped him build on-screen experience.

By the early 1990s, he had begun landing recurring and regular roles on television, including a spot on HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show in 1992, where he played head writer Jerry. His early career choices during this period laid the groundwork for the breakthrough that would arrive a decade later.

Jeremy Piven Career

Early Career (1986-2003)

One of Piven’s early roles was Spike in Lucas (1986). His first important role came in 1992 when he became a regular cast member on HBO’s The Larry Sanders Show, where he played head writer Jerry. He left the show in the second season after growing tired of the role.

In 1993, he portrayed George Costanza on the show-within-a-show scene in the two-part Seinfeld episode “The Pilot.” He also served as a supporting cast member on the last three seasons of the sitcom Ellen, where he played Ellen’s cousin Spence. He starred in and produced the short-lived ABC dramedy series Cupid, and voiced Elongated Man in three episodes of Justice League Unlimited. His film work during this period included Judgment Night, Grosse Pointe Blank, Singles, Very Bad Things, The Family Man, Black Hawk Down, The Kingdom, Heat, PCU, Old School, Serendipity, Smokin’ Aces, and Runaway Jury.

Breakthrough (2004-2010)

Beginning in 2004, Piven achieved significant success as the fast-talking, acerbic Hollywood agent Ari Gold in the HBO series Entourage. He received Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor for four straight years, from 2005 to 2008, and won the award in 2006, 2007, and 2008. He also received Golden Globe nominations for the role from 2005 to 2010, and won in 2008.

In 2007, Piven appeared in the music video for “Drivin’ Me Wild,” the third single from rapper Common’s seventh album, Finding Forever. He also hosted Saturday Night Live in January 2007.

Piven appeared in the first Broadway revival of David Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow, which began preview performances on October 3, 2008. The production opened on October 23, 2008. After missing several performances, Piven ended his run in the play effective December 17, 2008, due to a reported case of hydrargyria. He appeared in the film RocknRolla and made cameo appearances in Rush Hour 2 and the U.S. release of Cars.

Mr Selfridge and Later Work (2011-2025)

In August 2011, Piven stated he was interested in portraying Keith Moon, the drummer of the Who. From 2013 to 2016, he played the title role in the British television drama series Mr Selfridge, a semi-fictional story based on the life of Harry Selfridge, the founder of the London department store Selfridge’s. The show aired on ITV in the United Kingdom and on PBS in the United States.

On August 3, 2009, Piven guest-hosted an episode of WWE Raw, accompanied by Ken Jeong. The episode included references to The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, which starred both Piven and Jeong. On August 1, 2019, Piven appeared on a KTVU morning news segment to promote a standup comedy show in San Francisco.

Piven has also continued to perform standup comedy in various cities, including a scheduled appearance in San Francisco in 2019, demonstrating his range beyond scripted television and film.

Notable Works and Milestones

Piven’s signature role remains Ari Gold in Entourage, a character that earned him three consecutive Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award. His work on the British series Mr Selfridge, where he played the title role for four seasons, represents one of his most significant international projects. His recurring role as Spence Kovak on Ellen helped establish his comedic presence on network television during the 1990s.

Jeremy Piven Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Jeremy Piven has earned multiple award nominations across television’s most respected ceremonies. His portrayal of Ari Gold in Entourage brought him four consecutive Emmy nominations for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series, from 2005 to 2008, and six consecutive Golden Globe nominations, from 2005 to 2010.

Jeremy Piven Awards Won

Jeremy Piven has won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Ari Gold in Entourage, taking the award in 2006, 2007, and 2008. He also won a Golden Globe Award for the same role in 2008.

Jeremy Piven Family

Jeremy Piven was raised in a family deeply rooted in the performing arts. His parents, Byrne Piven and Joyce Hiller Piven, were both actors and drama teachers who founded the Piven Theatre Workshop in Illinois. His elder sister, Shira Piven, is a director, and his brother-in-law is director Adam McKay.

Growing up in Evanston, Illinois, Piven trained alongside other future performers, including actor John Cusack and Cusack’s sisters Joan and Ann, all of whom are fellow alumni of the Piven Theatre Workshop.

Personal Life

Jeremy Piven resides in Malibu, California. He is a fan of the Chicago Bears and has played drums with the Chicago-based progressive rock band Umphrey’s McGee. Piven has maintained a long friendship with John Cusack, a fellow Evanston native, and the two once shared an apartment.