Some Hollywood actors tend to bristle when asked to recreate one of their most famous characters.
Then there’s Jeremy Piven.
The 58-year-old is best known for his character Ari Gold from the television series Entourage, alongside a vast range of TV and film roles.
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Piven is in Australia for a stand up comedy tour and was courtside at John Cain Arena for game five of the NBL grand final series between Melbourne United and the Tasmania JackJumpers.
He took part in a live interview with broadcasters ESPN in the second quarter, which you can see in the player above, when he was firstly asked about his time in Melbourne.
“I’m loving it and the level of competition here is high,” he said.
“And it’s fun to watch because everyone is so intense, they’re diving for balls, and I’m loving it.”
In Entourage, Ari Gold is a powerful, intense Hollywood agent known for his temper, smooth talking and brutal takedowns.
Gold quickly became one of the most beloved characters on the show, which ran for eight seasons between 2004 and 2011 and even had a spin-off movie in 2015.
In the interview, Piven was asked how Gold would fire up an NBL team and rather than turn down the invitation, he seamlessly changed his tone and stance and became the character that earned him a Golden Globe and three Emmy Awards.
“Just let them know we have a finite amount of time on this planet and you can be viciously mediocre or you can get the f**k after it,” Piven replied as the commentary team cracked up.
Piven then shifted back to his usual persona and managed to get in a plug for his stand-up tour.
He also apologised for Gold’s language.
“Yes (I’m) at the Palais Theatre Tuesday night, here you go, here’s your free ticket, you get a free meet and greet if you say ESPN everybody,” he said. “We love ESPN.
“I’m sorry about swearing. And then Thursday I’m at the State Theatre in Sydney.”
The JackJumpers went on to win the game 83-81, with the expansion side upsetting the favoured home team to claim its first NBL championship 3-2.
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