“Entourage” has survived from its slow-writing decay because of the one character that carries the show, that over-the-top master of misogyny, Ari Gold.
A “has it all” talent agent, he doesn’t even have a modicum of self-restraint and constantly throws one-liners out of nowhere that induce side-splitting laughter. He typifies the Hollywood agent: dapper, untouchable and charismatic. His tirades are legendary, spitting wholly un-PC comments around like nails to his abused assistant, wife and anyone else brave enough to step into his general vicinity while he’s heated. What makes his comments so epic is the validity of them. Ari says what everyone else is thinking, but out loud and in a cleverer manner. Ari is a verbal time bomb, waiting to go off at any minute on his unsuspecting prey. This suspense adds an element of excitement to any scene he’s in.
But beyond his verbal prowess is a genuinely lovable guy. Ari is an asshole only to get what he wants for the people he likes. His pre-school playground crush method (treating the people that he actually likes horribly) lets the audience know that he’s a real person. He is the perfect combination of evil on the outside, pure on the inside and clever throughout. J
Jeremy Piven has set the gold standard for anyone looking to create character in the movie industry.
