Posts Tagged ‘rocknrolla’
Hot Shots! 11/03/08-11/17/08
November 3rd, 2008
Jeremy Piven Talks About Broadway Debut
October 23rd, 2008
You gotta hand it to the "Piv"… Since achieving world domination with his Emmy-winning role as Ari Gold on HBO’s Entourage, Jeremy Piven has been stretching his fame as far as he can. And who wouldn’t?
He’s got a role in Guy Ritchie’s new film RocknRolla (more on that later). And tonight, Piven makes his Broadway debut in David Mamet’s classic play Speed the Plow, a production close to the actor’s heart.
"David Mamet is a playwright who grew up in my hometown of Chicago," Piven tells Parade.com. "My father–no one actually knows this–was friends with David and he was the first person to give him money to start his Piven Theater Workshop. So there’s a lot of personal history."
Piven, who comes from what he calls "a theater family" describes his Broadway debut as "my Olympics. I just hope I’m ready for eight shows a week."
Piven’s self-deprecating side may seem out of character for a guy known mainly as the confident, brutally offensive agent Ari Gold on Entourage.
"I just am incredibly blessed that I get a chance to keep exploring the dualities of a tragically flawed, Type A wrecking ball," he says. "That’s why I work so hard to try and get better. Once you kind of make friends with fear and understand that it’s just a healthy energy, then you can walk right through it and just be totally present and give everything you have."
In Speed the Plow, Piven plays Bobby Gould, who’s head of production at a Hollywood studio. Asked whether he finds any similarity between Gould and Ari, Piven says, "Maybe, but I think Bobby would be trying to calm Ari down. I kind of have to whip myself into a frenzy to get into the state of high energy that Ari has. Ari is always fascinating to me because he’s so brutal and offensive, and at the same time, has so much love and is a monogamous husband and all these things. I’m having a blast and this season is more interesting than even the ones before it."
Audiences will next see Piven on the big screen in RocknRolla — a film getting a lot of press at the moment due to its director, Guy Ritchie’s, divorce from wife, Madonna. Despite being a three-time Emmy winner, Piven says he still felt a little star-struck when Mrs. Ritchie visited the set.
"Madonna came on the set and it was kind of crazy because she was so low key, just sitting in a chair," he says. "At first nobody noticed her. But once you did, it was just like the energy in the room just completely blew out of control and you couldn’t help staring."
Asked whether Guy was impressed with his Emmys, Piven said, "Are you kidding? Somebody asked him and he said, ‘Who’s Ari Gold?’ I found out there isn’t a lot of television watching allowed in their home."
While Madonna may still make him sweat, Piven is by far a bona fide star in his own right. Yet the actor seems to be taking it all in stride.
"My father always said that being a star means that you have a choice. That’s all it means," he says. "That you have a choice of what to do artistically. And I’ve never had a choice. And now I’m beginning to have choices. So if that’s what being a star is, then I welcome that."
Hot Shots! 10/21/08-11/02/08
October 21st, 2008
Hot Shots! 10/06/08-10/20/08
October 6th, 2008
Guy Ritchie Takes ‘RocknRolla’ To Toronto Film Festival
September 14th, 2008
Guy Ritchie is the star of the RocknRolla premiere, which takes place at the Elgin Theatre during the Toronto Film Festival.
Although Madonna couldn’t be there because she has a concert in Europe this evening, Guy is jovial when he greets reporters.
“Hello ladies,” he greets reporters. “Just ladies. What’s that all about?”
What’s the secret to maintaining a successful marriage?
“Ah, if you know, you tell me,” Guy tells me. “That’s a toughie, and … maybe you know the answer.”
What’s Guy like as a director?
“Very strategic and very particular,” Chris “Ludacris” Bridges tells me. “He’s extremely on point. He’s very opinionated. When you write and direct a movie, you already know exactly what you want from the job.”
The cast celebrated the evening with a dinner of shrimp, chicken and beef at Benihana’s Steakhouse.
“I had to change,” Tobey Kebbell says. “I had to wear a t-shirt because it stinks in there. I mean, it’s a lot of grease. It’s a lovely restaurant, it’s a lovely place, it’s just smelly.”
Did Guy make any toasts?
“Nope,” Tobey says. “I think he had toast for breakfast.”
Did Tobey meet Madonna?
“I did! Unfortunately for her, she got to see my tushy as she sweetly put it. But she’s gorgeous. A lovely, stunning woman.”
RocknRolla will be released October 31.
And, check back tomorrow for more coverage of the Toronto International Film Festival.
Guy Ritchie & Madonna: “Best Friends”
September 5th, 2008 / Author: OK! Staff
Despite all the rumors and reports of trouble in marital paradise for Madonna and her film director hubby Guy Ritchie, he tells OK! that he still relies on her during the tough times, like during the writing of his latest film.
"Writing is the hard part," Guy told OK! at the Toronto International Film Festival screening of his new movie, Rocknrolla. "It’s just you and a computer… that’s it."
But having his wife of nearly eight years was incredibly helpful for Guy. "She was very supportive," he recalled. "It was great."
Of course he’s probably a little biased toward his wife, who was unable to attend the Toronto premiere because of performing obligations in Europe. So OK! spoke to rapper Ludacris, who co-stars in Rocknrolla to get an unbiased opinion on Madonna and Guy. "What can you say? They were very good together," he explained. "It’s second nature for them. They’re vest friends."
Maybe it’s because their relationship is so "second nature" that Guy had trouble explaining to OK! what the secret is to a happy marriage. "If you know, you tell me," he joked. "That’s a toughie, and… maybe you know the answer."
By Valerie Nome
