Television Endorsement #1
If you haven't seen "Entourage," HBO's hit show about four childhood friends living the dream in Hollywood as one of them hits the big-time on the silver screen, then you are truly missing out, my friend. And don't give me that "I don't have HBO" excuse because at the very least, you can catch Seasons 1 and 2, which are out on DVD. And I don't have HBO either, but I just use a little creativity to watch the current season, airing on Sunday evenings at 10 PM. For those of you needing a primer or a refresher course, here's the skinny on the main players:
1. Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier) is the Sun around which all the other characters revolve. It is his rising fame as the "It" actor that provides the backdrop for the "entourage" to survive and thrive in Los Angeles. Fresh off a starring role in "Head On," co-starring Jessica Alba, Vince is poised to make it big. However, despite the multi-million dollar scripts that roll in, he stays true to his craft and aims for an indie film, "Queens Boulevard" instead. Highs, lows, and hot women abound, and eventually, Vince is in line to land a major role in a comic-book adaptation of "Aquaman." Will everything fall into place smoothly (hint: no), or will some roadblocks along the way make for sweet television (hint: yes)? Nevertheless, Vince's soulful eyes and winning smile may work with the ladies, and I mean ALL of them, but as for the show, he may be the Sun, but he's also the least developed character, with his plotlines focusing on the acting business. While his character is less interesting for the audience, without his role, none of these guys would be out in LA in the first place.
2. Eric "E" Murphy (Kevin Connelly) is the true lead of the show, playing Vince's best friend and manager. He's the conscience, the practical thinker, the responsible one. While he doesn't always get the girl, it doesn't hurt to mention that he's Vince's manager in order to score a few points with the honeys. Not to say that the job doesn't give him plenty of grief in the long run. A former manager of "Sbarro," E plays the straight man for most of the show, but he does get a few opportunities to cut loose, and you can see him grow into his role as a burgeoning player in the movie business. And currently, he's dating a hottie named Sloan (Emanuelle Chriqui), so you can't really feel sorry for him when Vince gets him into sh*tty situations. On a side note, I remember back in '99, I was with a number of friends at a gentleman's club, and we saw Mr. Connelly there that night, back during his "Unhappily Ever After" days. Amazing to see how he's moved up, onto a hit show, and presently dating Nicky Hilton.
3. Johnny "Drama" Chase (Kevin Dillon), Vince's older half-brother, came out to LA first to pursue an acting career, but aside from a number of guest spots on television shows (Melrose Place, Pacific Blue, 227, among others) and a modest cult hit role in "Viking Quest," hasn't really hit the big-time like Vince has. Nevertheless, he is the epitome of perseverance, always looking for ways to score minor roles in Vince's films, as well as anyone else he talks to along the way. At the same time, he is Vince's personal chef and trainer. "Drama" is often the butt of many jokes, for being old, for being a failure, for being a bit dumb, for saying inane things while trying to appear smart, for wanting more-defined calves, but just when you start to wonder if he's just there for cruel comic relief, he steals a scene or has a moment of redemption that only makes you want to root for him to finally succeed. However, whenever I see him I can't help but think of his as the vicious shotgun-toting Bunny on "Platoon", smashing in a Vietnamese person's face with the butt of his rifle, or Pat Healy, the creepy private detective played by brother Matt on "There's Something About Mary." The resemblance is eerie, even for brothers.
4. Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) is, more or less, the gopher of the group. He's the driver of the crew, and he sometimes is given tasks to perform, although his lack of responsibility prevents him from getting more jobs to do. What he is great at, though, is hooking up weed and finding promotions for Vince to do in exchange for free stuff. Very street-smart, Turtle by far has the most street cred of this Queens foursome. Fully aware that he's leeching off the successes of his boyhood pal, Turtle not only accepts that he can only get girls because of Vince, he is ecstatic about it. The funniest member of the crew, he gets all the best lines, usually at "Drama"'s expense. At first, I thought I would dislike his character, what with his penchant for being a doting "yes"-man to Vince, but it's a testament to the show creators and writers that they've made characters like "Drama" and Turtle not only useful at times but ultimately likeable. I can absolutely see why Vince lets these guys mooch off of him, he needs them almost as much as they need him. And now, it appears that Turtle is on his way as representation for a rising rap star, Saigon.
5. Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) steals the show completely as Vince's fast-talking, scheming, creepy, impotent, conniving agent. He gets even better lines than Turtle and plays the slimeball with such ease that you have to wonder whether he's even acting at all, he's that good. It's fun to watch Ari talk sh*t to Eric, handle Vince with kid gloves, ignore Turtle and "Drama" entirely, and mercilessly belittle his gay, Chinese assistant Lloyd (played by the brilliant Rex Lee), yet is utterly put in his place at all times by his wife. Without Ari, the show would not be the same, and he changed my life just by uttering these 5 little words on the second episode of the show: "Let's hug it out, bitch."
The current season has been a little shaky (Good riddance, Dom), but if you like movies and always wondered what it would be like to work in Hollywood, you will love this show. I have a feeling it's truer than people like to admit, and a little part of me wishes I could live in that world, buying Rolls Royces, going to parties at the Playboy Mansion and Jessica Alba's house, and walking the red carpet at my own blockbuster movie premiere with James Cameron. Geez, maybe graduate school in public health was a step in the wrong direction for that to happen. Sigh.
posted by F at 1:46 AM
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