Archive for the 'Interview' Category

Q. How easy or difficult is it to avoid media scrutiny as a celebrity? Do many of the train wrecks we see on shows like TMZ or in the tabloids actually crave attention, or is it just that difficult to avoid? It seems like there are thousands of actors we never hear about unless they have a new project coming out (which is just fine with me). – Mantonat
A. TMZ is entertainment, and its stories are fabricated and embellished at best. You can avoid being the topic if you stay low-key and keep to yourself. Or better yet, go and volunteer at a school or charity because if the paps get you, at least you’ll be doing something constructive.

Q. Do we need so many paparazzi pictures of celebrities arriving (or departing) at LAX? It strikes me as the height of laziness for photographers to hang out at the airport because they know sooner or later almost every celebrity in town will walk through there. Does this collective obsession with the minutia of celebrity lives have an upside?— Abe Stalin
A. Finding celebrities and taking their picture can be a lot of fun, exciting and adrenaline-inducing — it’s the waiting around that is the work. Some of these guys will spend 12 hours at an airport to get that shot.We as a culture are saturated with media, we have become savvy as to how manipulated it can be. We are aware of the facade so we look to the tabloids and the paparazzi to get those candid, unposed moments. Something real.

Read More…

Adrian Grenier strolls into the rooftop lounge at the Thompson Hotel, looking tired. It’s his second day in Toronto, promoting his television show, Entourage, and his documentary, Teenage Paparazzo. He’s 20 minutes late for the interview but still manages to play 10 questions with The Ampersand about his comedy which is in its seventh season:

Q: You once described the show as “spiritual.”
A: I think it’s about family, friendship and loyalty. The characters are navigating L.A. and it can be often treacherous. The story is really about how these guys survive. Vince has this zen-like meditation that allows him to avoid some of the major pitfalls. I’m pretty even-keeled. I think I try to bring that to the character.

Q: What is most challenging thing about playing Vince?
A: Maybe enjoying the luxuries. I was always looking at celebrity in a more obtuse kind of way. I remember Doug Ellin was always saying, ‘Smile. You’re supposed to be enjoying yourself.’ It took me a couple of episodes to realize, ‘Oh yeah.’ That’s not the easiest thing to do. Let go and enjoy every moment. That was the fun of the show, to live vicariously through Vince’s enjoyment and the other guy’s indulgences.

Q: Is it an accurate portrayal of the lifestyle.
A: Accurate-ish.

Q: What is accurate about it?
A: A lot of it is based on real events, loosely interpreted and often Doug Ellin will prophesize things that happen. Stuff will happen on the show and then they’ll happen in real life. Some stuff is fictionalized or downplayed because if they were depicted, it wouldn’t seem real because truth is stranger of fiction.

Q: What is the most-asked fan question?
A: Where is Turtle at?

Q: Do you have a favourite season?
A: I don’t. This season, I’ve had the opportunity to spread my wings a bit.

Q: Do you have a favourite episode?
A: It was nice to do the Mexico sequence.

Q: What other kinds of work do you want to do?
A: I’ve always wanted to do smart films that were smart rides.

Q: What else can we expect for the upcoming episodes?
A: Reconciliation.

Q: And the final season?
A: We’ll see. I have no idea.

Source: National Post

Say what you will about Adrian Grenier, but one thing is certain: he has an appreciation for irony.

Six years ago, Grenier became famous for playing someone famous, heartthrob actor Vincent Chase, on HBO’s Entourage. Now, he’s used his notoriety—namely his connections to other celebrities and the media that feed on them—to make a documentary about the culture of fame itself.

Teenage Paparazzo is, in part, the story of Austin Visschedyk, a 14-year-old paparazzo Grenier met three years ago. Intrigued by the boy’s tenacity, Grenier set out to follow him on the celebrity hunt. But after interviewing the teenager’s laissez-faire parents, his Hollywood targets, and historians and other experts, the film became more of a meditation on the uncomfortable truths of the celebrity industry.

The movie, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival last January, has received positive buzz so far. The LA Times called it “a clear-eyed investigation of the fame apparatus.” And according the Village Voice blog Voice Film, Paparazzo is “far more intellectually engaging than a film about celebrity made by a celebrity has any right to be.”

The College of Communication and HBO Documentary Films are bringing filmmaker and film to campus tonight. The screening, which will be held at the Photonics Center at 6 p.m., will be followed by a question-and-answer period with Grenier.

BU Today caught up with Grenier on Tuesday, just before the Los Angeles premiere of Teenage Paparazzo, to talk about what it’s been like to see celebrity from both sides of the camera lens.

BU Today: This is your first visit to a college campus. Why bring the movie to BU?
Grenier: This is actually very exciting. It’s the first college screening in what I’m hoping will be a continuing exhibition series. I think there are a lot of elements in the film that people who have an active interest in studying media can really appreciate.

Read More…

Adrian takes OK!’s Last Word interview in the issue on newsstands now. The Entourage star, 34, comes clean about chasing hurricanes, being envious, getting rid of his anger and feeling proud just in time for his HBO documentary Teenage Paparazzo, which airs September 27.

This is what you won’t find in the magazine.

Last time you lied?
Last night when I was at a restaurant and ordered the lobster. The waitress was so nice and said “how was everything?” I said “great, thank you.” The truth is the lobster was overcooked and dried out, but I ate it anyway.

Last chore or errand you did?
These days, it’s harder and harder to do chores. Actually, I went through a bunch of old boxes I had in storage. I was cleaning out a bunch of clutter. I’m getting rid of a bunch of VHS tapes, even though I had such a great collection and now they’ve become obsolete, unfortunately. I’m still having a hard time getting separated from them because they were such great choices, but they have to go. I think I’m going to take them to the library, and donate them.

Last dream or nightmare?
Ooh, I had a pretty gnarly nightmare last night. It was in the future, and I was the outsider. I was trying to prove myself to these more evolved creatures – these alien-type creatures. I was trying to prove myself and fit in. They were futuristic. It was scary. I don’t know if it was a nightmare, but I was definitely in uncharted territory.

Last risk you took?
There was a hurricane coming, and I was on the beach. The ocean was pretty tumultuous. The waves were big, intimidating and rough. I decided to go in and take my chances with the ocean. I was on Long Island. There was pretty big swells, and the lifeguard was recommending that people don’t go in, but I needed to get in since it had been so long, so I took a little 5-10 minute risk, I guess.

Last time you felt angry?
Anger is such a distant memory of mine. Anger’s nostalgic now. I don’t get angry anymore. I realized it was a useless emotion. Although, I do get frustrated.

Last time you felt frustrated?
In the film that I’m making and the surrounding content, I’ve been dealing with celebrities a lot. Some celebrities can be very difficult and not return your calls or sort of be flaky. I was a little frustrated with a couple of them. But I don’t want to name names.

Last time you felt envious?
Envy – that’s a strong one. The other day, I was out to dinner with a friend, and she ordered this dish that looked so amazing and tasted so good and mine wasn’t all that great. Mine was good, but her’s was really good, so I was envious of her meal. This was a couple weeks ago. I was envious of what somebody else had ordered. It’s risotto with parmesan cheese and asparagus. I was watching the carbs, so I was envious of her carb abandon.

Last time you went to New Mexico?
The last time I went was a couple years ago, so it’s been a little while. About 2 ½ years or three years ago. The dry heat and the smell of the desert immediately puts me back to distant memories of my childhood.

Last time you felt proud?
My teenage goddaughter was highlighted for her … she … all of her friends were ganging up on somebody online, and she stepped in and convinced them to be nicer and to stop. I was very proud of her for that.

Catch Adrian Grenier’s documentary Teenage Paparazzo on September 27 at 9 p.m. on HBO. For the rest of Adrian’s Last Word interview, pick up the OK! on newsstands now. The cover line is “Snooki: My Battle With Anorexia.”

Thanks to Tricia for the heads up!

The Hill/The Washington Scene has published an interview with Adrian.

ROBIN BRONK: If you had five minutes in the Oval Office with President Obama, what would you discuss with him? What issue would you like him to know about?
ADRIAN GRENIER: I would want to discuss the role of mainstream entertainment news in politics. How has it affected people’s perception of politics and politicians? How has it enriched citizen participation or made it more cynical? What’s it like to be known as a “rock star” president — does it make him more effective, or is it an obstacle? How does he reconcile the showbiz of modern politics with real, tangible policymaking and governing? How will his celebrity affect future presidencies?

RB: If you could give President Obama one piece of advice, what would that be?
AG: When giving speeches, or holding press conferences, don’t bring plastic water bottles to the podium with you. It sends the wrong message that you embrace a disposable society. When broadcast around the world, on television and newspapers, it becomes an embedded subconscious piece of plastic product placement that seems natural and inevitable. Instead, make it a point to use glass or ceramic cups, perhaps with a subtle environmental message on it. If it is show business, stay in character as our environmental president.

RB: If you could ask President Obama one question, what would that be?
AG: Who does the set design for his presidential address from the Oval Office? Are the photos on his desk organic or with an awareness of audience perception?

RB: Would you ever consider a political career?
AG: Yes, but only once I’m done sowing the seeds of scandal that will one day prove to undermine my candidacy.

Seconds after meeting Entourage’s Adrian Grenier (just as charismatic in person, and taller than I’d imagined), he tells me he has to zip to the washroom. I try to escape to the other end of the swank Thompson Hotel suite, but can’t avoid hearing the tinkle, flush and (I listen for it) tap. “So even celebrities have to go to the washroom, huh?” I ask when he emerges. “Yup,” he smiles. “We need to drain the weasel.”

Deconstructing celebrity culture – particularly the “paps” who hound the rich and famous – is what his doc, Teenage Paparazzo’s, all about. Grenier follows the life of Austin Visschedyk, a mop-haired shooter who begins photographing him, only to become semi-famous himself.

Has making the film changed your relationship to the “paps”?
Absolutely. Gaining that perspective is very empowering. Dealing with them is now more of a two-way conversation.
Read More…

Thanks to Roxanne for the heads up!

The way a person has sex says a lot about them – particularly Adrian Grenier’s Entourage character Vincent Chase. Although the fictional movie star beds a lot of women, they are always pictured in the reverse cowgirl position.

Adrian, who revealed Vince’s reputation as a player affects his own score card, told NovaFM there is a valid reason for that. “It was sort of a purposeful decision they made right in the early stages of the show because Vince cannot really connect quite as well as he should,” he said. “It’s a psychological choice. It’s also good for the camera. You get one angle and you get both faces.”

Adrian, who has dated Aussie actress Isabel Lucas and is in Australia to promote his documentary Teenage Paparazzo, said Vince’s reputation can be a b*tch. “I have a lot to prove (with the ladies). It’s a catch 22,” he said. “On one hand your opportunities increase, but then it’s harder to execute.” Um, try the reverse cowgirl maybe? Works for Vince.

Have a perve on Adrian as he talks about sex in NovaFM studio:

Watch video: Vinnie Chase aka Adrian Grenier talks about those infamous sex scenes and why exactly the girls are always facing away from him? Ryan, Monty and Wippa also play a name association game with him using names who have appeared on the show including Bono and Holly Valance!?

Watch video: Adrian Grenier aka Vinnie Chase is with Ryan, Monty and Wippa and they talk about the mega series that is Entourage. He also talks about the photos of “E” aka Kevin Connolly walking out of a hotel with Aussie gal Sophie Monk.

Adrian talked to Close Up about things he is most looking forward to in his New Zealand trip for the Auckland and Wellington Film Festivals. You can watch the video here.

Although he’s famous for his portrayal of a playboy movie star on the HBO series “Entourage,” Adrian Grenier has never gone Hollywood. Raised on the Upper West Side, Mr. Grenier remains a New Yorker (the bio on his Twitter feed tellingly reads “New York/Hollywood”) and once boasted to an interviewer that “I was in Williamsburg before Williamsburg was Williamsburg.”

“Entourage” returned this week for its seventh season. And while Vincent Chase, Mr. Grenier’s character on the show, has the languid, untroubled air of someone young and very successful, the actor comes across as more mature and industrious. He has executive-produced an eco-themed TV show on Planet Green, is involved in several charities, and plays drums in the rock band the Honey Brothers when his schedule allows. In recent years, Mr. Grenier, 33, has also become a kind of indie Errol Morris, directing two documentaries. The first, “Shot in the Dark,” focused on his attempt to reunite with his estranged father. The second, “Teenage Paparazzo,” about a 13-year-old tabloid photographer, premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and screened at the BAMcinemaFEST at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

One blank spot in Mr. Grenier’s resume is feature films—a boyfriend role in “The Devil Wears Prada” remains his most high-profile screen credit. But series executive producer Mark Walhberg has said that there’s an “Entourage” movie in the works, a reward for the show’s many fans who complain that the 30-minute episodes are over quicker than a starlet’s career.

The Journal caught up with Mr. Grenier a few days before the “Entourage” premiere.

Wall Street Journal: In the season opener, Vincent Chase is pressured by a director to perform his own car jump. Did you do the stunt?

Adrian Grenier: I did not do that stunt. Vince may be so insecure that he has to do something to prove that he’s a man. I know I’m a man.

Read More…