Piven makes time for comedy

It's not easy to decline plum roles. Since Jeremy Piven scored a gig as a regular on the brilliant 'Larry Sanders Show” a quarter century ago, he has been a very busy working actor.

Piven, 53, is best known for his Emmy-winning turn as Ari Gold, the talent agent from 'Entourage.” The veteran actor also starred in the British period drama 'Mr. Selfridge” and made his mark in such films as 'Grosse Pointe Blank,” 'Very Bad Things” and 'Black Hawk Down.”

However, Piven has always yearned for time to focus on stand-up comedy. 'I'm finally there,” Piven said while calling from Los Angeles.

He has cleared his schedule for a tour, which stops Friday (10/12) at Penguins Comedy Club in downtown Cedar Rapids.

So why did Piven, who still receives plenty of offers for acting gigs, take the time for stand-up?

'Because I'm compelled to do it,” he said. 'I'm embracing stand-up and I perform every chance I get. I get to be honest up there. With everything else I've ever done, there's been a script. There is no editing when you do stand-up. When you see me, you get nothing but me. I wish I could have done stand-up earlier in my career but I was busy working on one project after another.”

He'll riff about a variety of subjects, but he won't reveal the topics.

'I can't really say, since I want people to be surprised,” he said. 'They're going to learn a lot about me and where I'm at. I'll be honest, which is something we need during this time of when we're living in the extremes.”

While coming of age during the '70s, he often performed at the Piven Theatre Workshop in Chicago, which was run by his parents, who are drama teachers. (He also attended Drake University in Des Moines in the 1980s before leaving for New York University.)

'From early on I enjoyed being on stage,” he said. 'It's in my blood. I love performing in front of an audience.”

After leaving NYU as a senior, Piven found work in films during the mid-80s. His first job was in 'Lucas,” which starred the late Corey Haim and a number of future stars, including Charlie Sheen and Winona Ryder.

'You never forget your first movie,” Piven said. 'I had a small role, but then again, I had a number of small roles in so many films. My advice for those interested in acting is work on those small roles like they're the lead. That's what I've done with every production I've been in.”

Piven's role in 'Entourage” was anything but small.

'‘

Entourage' was one of the greatest experiences I ever had,” Piven said. 'I enjoyed every minute of it. People still think of me as the character I played on the show, Ari Gold. What a great cast and great writing.”

However, his experience on the iconic 'Sanders” show may have had the biggest impact on Piven's career while working with such revered comedic minds as the late Garry Shandling and Judd Apatow. Piven immediately wanted to be part of the show.

'I didn't care what I would have to do on the show,” he said. 'I remember reading the script and I knew it was so good and so funny. I was young and wanted to be part of it in any way that I could. I was so crazy about it that I would have agreed to work in craft services just to be part of that crew everyday. ('Sanders” star) Garry Shandling and (then young writer) Judd (Apatow) are comedic geniuses.”

Thanks to all of his success, Piven can lead an opulent lifestyle, which is very different from how he was raised. To cut corners, Piven claimed his parents somehow raised him in a retirement home.

'When you're part of the theater world, you don't make much money,” he said. 'My parents were both actors and so there wasn't a lot of money around. We had to do what we could. We lived in an old folks home. I had humble roots. It made me appreciate things.”

Get out

WHAT: Jeremy Piven

WHERE: Penguins, 208 Second Ave. SE, Cedar Rapids

WHEN: 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday (10/12)

TICKETS: $35 advance, $37 show day, $55 VIP, (319) 362-8133 or Penguinscomedyclub.com