Jeremy Piven Returns to the Stage After Weinstein Scandal
The actor is a master at playing the part of himself. But Jeremy Piven who stepped onto the stage to perform stand-up comedy in Los Angeles and New York City this year is nothing like the Ari Gold that lit up pay-cable TV screens and the big screen for three years on HBO’s Entourage.
Then, last fall, came the avalanche of allegations that sexual assault and harassment were pervasive in Hollywood and that powerful men had used their status to intimidate and victimize women. The scandal put Harvey Weinstein in his place and brought forward dozens of other claims against actors, including an allegation that Piven groped a woman at the Playboy Mansion.
From Entourage to Facebook: Jeremy Piven’s Online Presence
It’s not hard to see how the accusations weighed on Piven; his public comments were measured and affluent, and he stopped working for Netflix’s House of Cards. But it’s clear that he wants to return to acting, and he’s starting with the British period drama Mr Selfridge, which stars him as retail magnate Harry Selfridge in his London store during World War I.
Piven will also appear in Sweetwater, a sports movie about Nat “Sweetwater” Clifton, the first African-American player to sign with an NBA team. Directed by Martin Guigui and co-starring Richard Dreyfuss, Eric Roberts, Kevin Pollak, Everett O’Chard, and Paz Vega, the film is set for a July release. It’s his first project since the Weinstein allegations were made public. He has been doing the media circuit for the film, appearing on Good Morning America and Sherri Shepherd’s daytime talk show, promoting his role and the movie.