“We are gonna get drunk with Russell Crowe and we're gonna head-butt some goddamn kangaroos.” – Ari Gold, Entourage.
We hope you enjoy these Entourage facts and relive some of our favorite moments from the show!
Entourage Facts
24. The Mark Wahlberg connection
The show is loosely based on Mark Wahlberg’s past, with characters woven from real people in the actor’s life. The idea was initially conceptualized as a documentary, but was later developed into a satirical look at the Hollywood lifestyle.
23. Water for movies
Vince Chase’s big break film Aquaman was actually based on Mark Wahlberg’s first big blockbuster The Perfect Storm – just one of the many ways the actor’s life is laced into the show.
22. What’s in a name?
Turns out Vincent Chase is actually named after actor Vince Vaughn. Creator Doug Ellin initially had his sights set on Vaughn to play the lead, but when those plans fell through he simply decided to pay an homage to the actor through the main character’s name. Surprise!
21. How to deal with rejection
Funnily enough, the initial script pitch for Entourage was rejected by HBO. It started off in the midst of Vince’s career downfall and was way more broody, the network executives advised Ellin to make it less depressing and bam! Now, we have an Entourage we love and cherish.
20. Where’s Vince?
The series’ creators really struggled to find someone to play Vince’s character convincingly. The actor had to be believable as a potential star, without actually being one. Casting Adrian Grenier in the lead was a huge departure from the initial idea for the character, since he wouldn’t be able to carry off Wahlberg’s demeanour. But Grenier ended up making the character his own and everybody walked away happy anyway.
19. The Obama cameo
You may not believe it, but the former president of the United States of America – Barack Obama – was asked to make a cameo appearance on the show, which he declined. Can we just take a moment to imagine how incredible it would have been if Obama agreed?
18. On the Obama note
On the subject of Barack Obama, the former president has stated in an interview that Entourage is one of his favourite shows – along with The Wire. This only confirms that his cameo-that-could-have-been would have been spectacular. If only… If only.
17. Let’s shift focus
This may be surprising, but Vince was not initially supposed to be the focus of the show. E (or Eric) was the chosen lead during the early conceptualization of the series – pretty tough to imagine this now, right?
16. The casa de porn
The apartment building used as Drama’s home in the fourth season of the show happens to contain the real-life home of porn star Ron Jeremy. The actor would actually often visit the set on filming days. Now, we wonder if any of the Entourage actors visited Jeremy’s sets…
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15. Only Ari can hire Ari
The character of Ari Gold is based on the real-life talent agent Ari Emanuel, who demanded that Jeremy Piven should play him – so much so, that he allegedly made a phone call from a plane in China insisting HBO hammer out a deal with the actor or he’d want his name erased from the show.
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14. Pre-fame cameos
Many actors got a taste of the spotlight by appearing on Entourage – before they were famous – like Leighton Meester, Sofia Vergara, Rainn Wilson, Ken Jeong and Gal Gadot. Going over all the celebrity cameos on the show would take a much longer list.
13. The hugging line
Ari Gold’s famous line “Let’s hug it out, b****” is considered of TV’s top catchphrases, but its origins are a little less known. Rumour has it, that it came from an unscripted moment between Piven and Connelly, after the former heard that Connelly doesn’t like physical contact. Either way, the results were hilarious.
Entourage, HBO
12. Boxing match that never stops
This is kind of funny, but whenever there is a boxing match on TV in the show – it’s the exact same fight. Literally. It’s the same. Maybe HBO couldn’t afford cable television?
Except for this fight…
11. Some side money
Kevin Dillon (Drama) and Jerry Ferrara (Turtle) both appeared as their characters in a series of commercials for the video game Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, where they played valets moonlighting as racers. Can’t blame them for making some side money off Entourage.
10. The nameless wife
Ari Gold’s wife remains nameless throughout the show, being referred to only as “Mrs. Ari” or “Mrs. Gold”. It wasn’t until season 6, that we finally find out her name is Melissa. They kept the mystery alive for quite a while though, right?
9. Inside jokes
In season 4, Turtle asks Drama if he’s ever seen the TV show 24, when in real-life the actor Kevin Dillon (who plays Drama) has been in several episodes of that series. Just some friendly winks at the real lives of the actors on Entourage.
8. An unflattering impression
The famously anger-prone producer Harvey Weinstein did not exactly enjoy being parodied by a character on Entourage named Harvey Weingard – he event confronted Connelly about the “doppelganger” at a party. Alas, the show’s creators got the last laugh, when they decided to write the confrontation with Connelly into the show, which Mr. Weinstein actually enjoyed. Persevere and you shall succeed!
7. A very realistic fake
Vince’s fictional film Medellin in season 4 had a fake trailer and even used to have its own website (http://www.medellinthefilm.com, now defunct), containing the synopsis and film stills. That’s some dedication, eh?
6. The boss’ son
Ari Gold’s son, Josh, is played by creator Doug Ellin’s actual son. Entourage seems like a tight-knit family indeed. Must have been a little eerie to direct your own son though.
5. One medium azzip, please
In the opening sequence, there is a pizza shop with a backwards sign reading “azzip.” It’s changed in season 4 to read correctly. Somebody probably finally took to proofreading the opening sequence…
4. Old friends make new characters
In season 5, Ari Gold calls up his old college roommate Peter Berg to try and convince him to direct Smoke Jumpers. Well, Ari Emanuel’s roommate in college was actually Peter Berg. One of the many ways, the show ties in real experiences into the storyline.
3. Hometown feels galore
The license plate on the 1965 Lincoln Continental driven in the opening sequence of Entourage is a reference to the gang’s hometown. The plate reads “QSV 11427” – which is the postal code and abbreviation of Vince’s hometown of Queen’s Village, New York. Mind blown!
2. Cousin brothers
The character Johnny Drama is loosely based on Mark Wahlberg’s cousin, Johnny Alves. There’s even a quip in the show’s pilot, with Turtle saying Vince thought Johnny was his cousin until they were 14.
1. Coming out of retirement
Kevin Connolly (who plays Eric) was retired from acting when he was offered the role on Entourage, but he quickly changed his mind when he found out the part was written just for him. Yeah, we’d do the same.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
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