Jeremy Piven
Jeremy Piven is a classically trained actor who shot to stardom as Ellen DeGeneres' unforgettable, sharp-witted cousin Spence on the sitcom
Ellen. Piven is the son of actors Byrne and Joyce Piven, who founded the Piven Theater Workshop. He studied theater at his parents' school alongside
Lili Taylor,
Rosanna Arquette and pal
John Cusack. The longtime friends, who began by performing Chekhov at age eight, have collaborated on several films -- including
One Crazy Summer,
Say Anything,
The Grifters,
Floundering,
Grosse Pointe Blank and
Serendipity.A former member of the
Second City National Touring Company, Piven made his small-screen debut on
Carol Burnett's variety show
Carol and Company in 1990. He went on to play a writer on HBO's
The Larry Sanders Show and to appear on
Seinfeld before starring as an unemployed father on the series
Pride & Joy.
In 1998, Piven landed his own show, the offbeat comedy/drama Cupid. He later went on to guest star on Will & Grace. Piven made his feature-film debut in Lucas, and went on to appear in Robert Altman's The Player, Cameron Crowe's Singles, Tim Robbins' Bob Roberts, Judgment Night and Car 54, Where are You? He went on to become a cult favorite for his portrayal of a campus misfit in P.C.U. and had standout roles opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in Miami Rhapsody, Robert De Niro in Heat, Bill Murray in Larger Than Life and Morgan Freeman in Kiss the Girls. He later starred in Peter Berg's Very Bad Things before playing Nicolas Cage's best friend in The Family Man. After that, Piven took a dramatic turn as a doomed helicopter pilot in Ridley Scott's award-winning Black Hawk Down, but returned to comedy for the recent hit Old School.
Jeremy Piven Facts
| Occupation | Actor |
| Birthday | July 26, 1965 (43) |
| Sign | Leo |
| Birthplace | New York, New York, USA |
| Height | 5' 9" (1m75) |
| Awards | 2008 Golden Globe Awards: Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or TV Movie (for Entourage) |
| 2007 Emmy Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (for Entourage) |
| 2006 Emmy Awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (for Entourage) |
Selected Filmography