One of the first things Jeremy Piven will do when he steps onto the stage at the Factory in Chesterfield on June 8 is let the audience know he’s Jewish — just in case anyone was wondering.
“You know how you can tell someone’s Jewish?” Piven deadpans during a recent chat. “They tell you.”
He’s not wrong. Think about it. It’s practically a mitzvah.
Piven’s Jewish upbringing in Evanston, Ill., complete with parents who co-founded the iconic Piven Theatre Workshop, has been a comedic goldmine for his stand-up.
But don’t misunderstand: His jokes comes with deep affection. His late parents, Byrne and Joyce Piven, weren’t just devoted to their children. They were theatrical fairy godparents to a generation of talent that includes John and Joan Cusack, Lili Taylor and Aidan Quinn.
Piven, 59, speaks about his parents with great love and reverence. His mother, who passed away in January at age 94, would run lines with him, even during the years he played Ari Gold, the fast-talking, foul-mouthed and wildly ambitious Hollywood agent on HBO’s “Entourage,” which ran for eight seasons from 2004 to 2011 and became a cultural touchstone. The role not only garnered Piven three Emmy Awards and two Golden Globes but also catapulted him into mainstream stardom.
“My friends, they couldn’t believe, like, if my mother came to set, having her see some of the vulgarity that I embraced as Ari Gold,” Piven said. “My mother is, was, a true artist until her last breath. She understands intrinsically that we cannot judge our characters, we have to inhabit them. Her credo as an artist, and my father’s as well, was get up on the stage and remember you are enough and be empowered by that.”
Piven first “got up” on stage at the age of 8 when his parents needed a child actor for “The Seagull.” He and his childhood best buddy, John Cusack, alternated in the role.
Their once-close friendship, well documented and reportedly strained after Piven’s rise in “Entourage,” came up in conversation. While Piven sidestepped a direct answer about where things stand now, he emphasized the lasting bond between their families. He recalled how John’s eldest sister Ann Cusack spoke so eloquently at his mother’s funeral.
“Our families will be forever linked,” he said. “Our mothers were best friends. Our fathers had an amazing relationship, and they acted together. John called my mother on her deathbed and told her how much she meant to him. His words were authentic. She helped shape many people’s lives.”
Piven says he keeps many of the lessons his parents taught him about acting — and tikkun olam — close to his heart.
Piven has appeared in more than 60 films, including notable roles in “Keeping Up with the Steins,” “Grosse Point Blank,” “Serendipity,” “The Family Man” and “Black Hawk Down.” His television breakthrough came long before “Entourage” with his portrayal of head writer Jerry on “The Larry Sanders Show” and as Spence Kovak, cousin to Ellen DeGeneres’ character on the sitcom “Ellen.”
He also headlined the British period drama “Mr. Selfridge,” playing the titular role of the charismatic American founder of the famed London department store.
Nevertheless, says Piven, most of the world has yet to see the role he considers his finest. In “The Performance,” based on a 2002 short story by Arthur Miller and directed by Piven’s sister Shira Piven (married to writer/director/producer Adam McKay), Piven plays Jewish tap dancer Harold May who is recruited to perform in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s. Piven spent more than a decade learning to tap dance for the part, which Variety calls “a career-highlight performance.” The film came out in 2023 but has yet to receive a wide release; it’s mostly been relegated to film festivals.
“To play this character was a gift from God,” he said. “That (character) is closer to me than any other role I have played in my life, and it’s the best work of my life. If I’m angry or confused that people think I’m Ari Gold, it’s my job to prove them wrong, and I’ve done that with ‘The Performance.’ ”
Piven has completed work on two other films that are expected to be released this year, including one directed by Jamie Foxx. So then why the pivot to stand-up and a grueling nationwide tour of more than 200 shows a year?
“My background is also in sketch comedy with Second City,” he said. “I’ve been improvising and writing on my feet and performing my whole life. So, it’s a matter of taking all of that and bringing it together.
“I really love the process. It’s incredibly freeing to be able to relate to an audience what you find interesting and funny about this journey. You know, we’re spirits having a human experience. Let’s share it together.”
Jeremy Piven
When: 7:30 p.m. June 8
Where: The Factory at the District in Chesterfield
How much: $45-$54
More Info: Visit thefactorystl.com or ticketmaster.com
