Jeremy Piven Grows Up, Sort Of...

By Justin Sondak in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 12, 2007 5:20PM

Best Life magazine, a.k.a. Men’s Health for the thinking man, has anointed Evanston’s own Jeremy Piven as this month’s sophisticated man’s man. Growing up a theatrical rugrat in a theater-crazy town has paid off, as Piven’s string of supporting roles landed him the testosteroney lead in the HBO series "Entourage." After years of riffing with Ellen, the Cusacks, and the Justice League, Piven is coming into his own.

Most of the piece treads well-worn territory. There’s his childhood training at the Piven Theatre Workshop, where he learned to respect the ensemble and studied his craft under demanding but nurturing father Byrne. Then came the string of supporting roles in sophisticated teen comedies, reuniting him with workshop buddies John Cusack and Lili Taylor. And although he’s in his 40s, Jeremy shows no signs of settling down and making Joyce a proud grandmother.

Later than most of his contemporaries, Jeremy is maturing and seeking balance in his life. Like many good Angelinos, he’s practicing yoga, rigorously working out, and watching his diet. He’s mellowed, quoting the Dalai Lama, encouraging his co-stars, and generally trying to be a good influence.

But not all is well in La La Land. Ironically, now that Piven has ascended to the B or C list and shed the Everybody’s Best Friend typecast, he and Cusack are no longer best buds:

For years, Piven and John Cusack were closely associated, on-screen and off. Cusack was clearly the bigger star then, and Piven — who often tagged along in supporting roles in such Cusack films as Say Anything, The Grifters, and Grosse Pointe Blank — says he took pleasure in his friend's achievements. "Absolutely. And I was always proud of him, and I was always in his corner," he says. "Always."

Asked how Cusack has handled Piven's recent success, Piven turns silent. Then he says, "No comment. I mean, you could fill in the blank, I bet."

The Sun Times already made the obvious joke about how they could reconcile, but we’re holding out for their reunion in a non-sucking Cameron Crowe film or on a North Shore stage.

Image via Yahoo! Movies.