I'm a huge fan of Jeremy Piven.  Whether it be his outstanding work on HBO's Entourage, or his small but memorable roles in films like Smokin' Aces, The Kingdom, and Cameron Crowe's Singles, Piven is a tornado of energy that you always remember.  So when I heard that he was going to be at Sundance to promote director Mark Pellington's I Melt With You (which he stars in along with Thomas Jane, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay and Carla Gugino), I made sure to land an interview.  Thankfully, my request went through and the other day I spent about ten minutes talking with him at the Bing Bar on Main Street. During the interview we talked about what drew him to the project, who he plays and what the film is about, how he prepares, discusses the independent spirit of Sundance and how Robert Redford is one of his heroes, improv, reminisces about his early work in Cameron Crowe's Singles and how it connected him to Eddie Vedder, and we ended the interview talked about the last season of Entourage and he says the next (last) season starts to film in April.  Hit the jump to watch: Finally, Magnolia Pictures purchased I Melt With You, so I'd imagine later this year you'll be able to see it.  Here's the official synopsis:

(Director: Mark Pellington; Screenwriter: Glenn Porter, based on the story by Glenn Porter and Mark Pellington) – Four friends gather every year to celebrate their friendship. This year they are unexpectedly forced to confront a forgotten promise they made 25 years earlier. As they examine choices they’ve made, they realize that what they said they would do with their lives and what they have done are entirely different. Cast: Thomas Jane, Jeremy Piven, Rob Lowe, Christian McKay, Carla Gugino.

Jeremy Piven

  • Recalls his experience with Cameron Crowe on Singles and how it connected him with Eddie Veder
  • 1:20 - Chooses projects that he would want to watch; cites Old School, The Goods, and I Melt With You
  • 2:10 - Explains what the movie's about
  • 3:20 - How the project evolved from script to final product; the experience was difficult but rewarding
  • 4:00 - There was a little room to improvise and embellish, but the script is at the core of all the dialogue
  • 4:40 - Likes to rehearse as much as possible; his mom is a great line reader, and has read all the Entourage character
  • 6:00 - Discusses the independent spirit of Sundance. Robert Redford is one of his heroes.
  • 7:30 - Everything on the set was geared toward performance; the cameras were unobstrusive, and the scenes were shot chronologically
  • 8:45 - Entourage starts up again in April

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