From an aggressive talent agent in Hollywood to a tap dancer with a chance to perform for Hitler, actor Jeremy Piven has taken on a wide swath of roles.
Now he’s coming to Northern California as himself, bringing his stand-up comedy for two nights, in Monterey on May 16 and in Napa on May 17.
His routines poke fun at the Hollywood world he’s been part of since the 1980s.
“Guess who the highest paid actor in Hollywood is,” he says in one routine. “The Rock, right. He’s never taken an acting class. Do I sound bitter? ‘Cause I am.”
Piven, who is Jewish, is known for TV roles such as playing Ari Gold in the HBO series “Entourage” and the title role in TV show “Mr. Selfridge.” He has also starred in films, including “Grosse Pointe Blank,” “Singles” and “Black Hawk Down.” He has earned three Emmy awards and a Golden Globe.
A career actor with hundreds of credits, he has been less visible since 2017 and 2018 when eight women accused him of unwanted sexual advances across decades. He denied the allegations, passed a polygraph test and described himself as “collateral damage” of the MeToo movement. No charges or lawsuits were filed against him.
In 2018, he started to perform stand-up, launched a podcast and continued working in movies.
He starred in the 2023 film “The Performance,” based on a 2002 short story by Arthur Miller. Set in 1937, the film played as the opener of the Silicon Valley Jewish Film Festival in 2024.
In “The Performance,” Piven plays a Jewish American tap dancer who is offered the chance to perform for Hitler. The film, directed by Shira Piven, the actor’s sister, examines how far ego and self-interest can push a person to ignore evil. Variety called the film “impressive” and Piven’s performance “complex and compelling.”