Adrian Grenier
Despite working on the likes of Drive Me Crazy and Hart’s War it was television show Entourage that shot Adrian Grenier to fame.
Taking on the role of Vince Chase the fifth series has just been released here in the UK so I caught up with the actor to talk about the show and what lies ahead for him.
- How does your life differ from Vince’s?
Oh in more ways that I can count but what’s more interesting is how similar we are, I actually have all his clothes from last season and I wear them all the time.
- So how are you similar then?
We both dress the same.
- I’m a huge fan of the show myself and I think fans like myself like to believe that you guys hang out in life as you do in the show so is that true have you really bonded over the last few years?
Well we all share a common bond because we are from New York so we get along quite easily. We sometimes hang out, but not all the time, we are all adults and we have business of our own to attend to and we don‘t necessarily want to spent all our time with each other because we work together so much.
- One think I love about Entourage are the star cameos, the stars playing themselves, I also love the fact that a lot of these stars love to play themselves as crazy and unsympathetic. So what is your favourite cameo and what would you be like if you played a version of yourself on the show?
I loved James Woods for just that reason; he was so over the top and so likeable for being so crazy.
- Your work has now taken you to Hollywood but you are from New York so what do you miss from home and do you still have a life in New York?
Well actually I still live in New York, I live in Brooklyn. New York I love for the walking culture, you don’t have to get in your car you can take the subway, bike or walk.
- Season five of Entourage is coming to DVD here in the UK so what can we expect from this series?
Series five huh? This season Vince has to really struggle to prove himself in the midst of all the doubt, he has had much success and at a certain point becomes untouchable, so he has to prove himself in that world.
- How would you describe how Vince has evolved over all of the series?
I think all of the characters are growing up and Vince is struggling to find his own identity separate from the other boys. He is also struggling to find his real worth because thing shave come so easy for what he gets.
- To stay with a show for this long is quite a commitment so what is it about the scripts and the characters that keep you coming back year after year?
It’s just about the loving bond between the boys it’s about their struggles to stay together despite all the forces trying to tear them apart.
- The show is still going on and going on strong so how long do you think you can keep it going? And how would you like to see it end?
I can see it going on because it’s such a rich with a lot of conflict and enjoyment so I don’t know. I hope it goes on for anther few years. I would like to see it end in a filmic trilogy, and maybe a couple of prequels.
- You have made a documentary about the paparazzi’s relationship with celebrities so why did you decide to look at this and what did you discover?
Well it’s almost an obvious next step seeing as this has been part of my experience for so long, it’s almost as if I have been training to make this movie. So this is my way of making sense of my celebrity experience to explore the world of tabloid culture.
- And what’s your relationship with the media?
I think I have a pretty good relationship with the media it’s a cosy little snuggle fest.
- What would you say is the most common misconception of you?
That my name is Vince. I didn’t actually grow up in Queens I grew Manhattan, I don’t play the French horn and my name isn’t Vince.
- How do you think success has changed things for you?
Well it has given me a lot of opportunity to do things in my life that I really want to do as well as giving me a lot of confidence to pursue my own goals. To not have to necessarily have to worry about the next pay check if you have a good job on a great shown on an amazing channel has been very lucky.
- Are there any aspects of Vince’s personality that you don’t like?
I don’t know I think he’s a pretty unassuming and generous person so hmmm. I don’t necessarily like his taste in women I would like to see Vince hang out with some intellectuals.
- You talked about achieving your own goals you have already made one documentary and are directing another two so would you like to direct more documentaries in the future?
Yeah I think eventually I would like to do a fiction but at the moment I’m really enjoying the medium of documentaries and the format of documenting real life and exploring my world that way.
- Is that the attraction for that it’s so different from what you do on Entourage which is all fiction and colourful?
Well fiction and narrative is often so contrived and having such experience understanding what those facades are and the illusion of it I guess I seek the more raw truth of documentaries, even though these too are contrived to a certain extent.
- About your interest in environmental issues can you tell me a bit about what sparked that and what opened your eyes to those issues?
My mother always taught me to have empathy and sensitivity for the world around me and to always keep a clean environment and be productive.
When you live in a cluttered room all of those things are calling your attention and it’s hard to focus, similarly with the world when you have pollution and environmental destruction these are all things that are demanding our attention and it’s hard for us to focus on other things.
- With all the success of your filming career is there any time left for music at all?
It’s tough but I manage. Sleep less work more.
- As the show has become very popular and you have become more famous do you get the feeling that your life is imitating the art of Entourage?
I think that a career s always up and down and you have just got to roll with this and there and are lots of lesson in Entourage for that.
- You have worked in both television and film in your career so how do they compare and differ and do you prefer one to the other?
No I think they are both invaluable outlets of expression and I’m very happy to be able to go between the two.
- What’s coming up for you over the next twelve months?
Well we start shooting Entourage season seven on January/February and until them I’m going to finish my documentary and play some music and go and spent as much time as possible snuggling up and being romantic in New York.
Entourage Season 5 is out on DVD now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Despite working on the likes of Drive Me Crazy and Hart’s War it was television show Entourage that shot Adrian Grenier to fame.
Taking on the role of Vince Chase the fifth series has just been released here in the UK so I caught up with the actor to talk about the show and what lies ahead for him.
- How does your life differ from Vince’s?
Oh in more ways that I can count but what’s more interesting is how similar we are, I actually have all his clothes from last season and I wear them all the time.
- So how are you similar then?
We both dress the same.
- I’m a huge fan of the show myself and I think fans like myself like to believe that you guys hang out in life as you do in the show so is that true have you really bonded over the last few years?
Well we all share a common bond because we are from New York so we get along quite easily. We sometimes hang out, but not all the time, we are all adults and we have business of our own to attend to and we don‘t necessarily want to spent all our time with each other because we work together so much.
- One think I love about Entourage are the star cameos, the stars playing themselves, I also love the fact that a lot of these stars love to play themselves as crazy and unsympathetic. So what is your favourite cameo and what would you be like if you played a version of yourself on the show?
I loved James Woods for just that reason; he was so over the top and so likeable for being so crazy.
- Your work has now taken you to Hollywood but you are from New York so what do you miss from home and do you still have a life in New York?
Well actually I still live in New York, I live in Brooklyn. New York I love for the walking culture, you don’t have to get in your car you can take the subway, bike or walk.
- Season five of Entourage is coming to DVD here in the UK so what can we expect from this series?
Series five huh? This season Vince has to really struggle to prove himself in the midst of all the doubt, he has had much success and at a certain point becomes untouchable, so he has to prove himself in that world.
- How would you describe how Vince has evolved over all of the series?
I think all of the characters are growing up and Vince is struggling to find his own identity separate from the other boys. He is also struggling to find his real worth because thing shave come so easy for what he gets.
- To stay with a show for this long is quite a commitment so what is it about the scripts and the characters that keep you coming back year after year?
It’s just about the loving bond between the boys it’s about their struggles to stay together despite all the forces trying to tear them apart.
- The show is still going on and going on strong so how long do you think you can keep it going? And how would you like to see it end?
I can see it going on because it’s such a rich with a lot of conflict and enjoyment so I don’t know. I hope it goes on for anther few years. I would like to see it end in a filmic trilogy, and maybe a couple of prequels.
- You have made a documentary about the paparazzi’s relationship with celebrities so why did you decide to look at this and what did you discover?
Well it’s almost an obvious next step seeing as this has been part of my experience for so long, it’s almost as if I have been training to make this movie. So this is my way of making sense of my celebrity experience to explore the world of tabloid culture.
- And what’s your relationship with the media?
I think I have a pretty good relationship with the media it’s a cosy little snuggle fest.
- What would you say is the most common misconception of you?
That my name is Vince. I didn’t actually grow up in Queens I grew Manhattan, I don’t play the French horn and my name isn’t Vince.
- How do you think success has changed things for you?
Well it has given me a lot of opportunity to do things in my life that I really want to do as well as giving me a lot of confidence to pursue my own goals. To not have to necessarily have to worry about the next pay check if you have a good job on a great shown on an amazing channel has been very lucky.