Adrian Grenier
Encyclopedia
Adrian Grenier is an American actor, musician
and director
. He is best known for his lead role on the HBO original series, Entourage
, as Vincent Chase
.
and raised in Manhattan, New York, by his mother, Karesse Grenier, a real estate
agent. His mother met his father, John Dunbar, in a commune
in the 1970s and the two were never married. Grenier is of Apache
and European descent. He went to Bard College
in New York
.
in Drive Me Crazy
as well as in Britney Spears
' music video "(You Drive Me) Crazy
", and in 2001, starred in James Toback
's Harvard Man
. In 2002, Grenier made his directorial debut with the documentary, Shot in the Dark. The documentary chronicles his years-long search for his father, with whom Grenier's mother broke up when Adrian was still a baby. Grenier and Dunbar remained estranged for 18 years, and in 2001, Adrian began work on the documentary in an attempt to forge a relationship with Dunbar. The two eventually reunited and maintain a warm relationship. HBO premiered the documentary on June 3, 2007.
In 2004, Grenier landed the lead role in the HBO series Entourage
, which has brought him his most substantial notice and success. In 2006, he won a role in The Devil Wears Prada
, as Anne Hathaway
's boyfriend, Nate.
On June 2, 2008, Grenier's new show, Alter Eco, premiered on Planet Green. The show features the actor and his team of green experts showing changes that can be made to become more eco-friendly.
On September 27, 2010 HBO premiered the documentary Teenage Paparazzo
, a film concerning the relationship between the celebrity and society that Grenier worked on for three years as a producer. The work features interviews with celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan
, Alec Baldwin
, and Whoopi Goldberg
.
In addition to being a filmmaker, Grenier is also a musician
, playing guitar
, drum
s, French horn, and the piano
. He is a member of two New York bands, lead singer in Kid Friendly and drummer in The Honey Brothers.
Grenier currently lives in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
.
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
and director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
. He is best known for his lead role on the HBO original series, Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
, as Vincent Chase
Vincent Chase
Vincent "Vince" Chase is a fictional character on the comedy-drama television series Entourage. He is played by Adrian Grenier.-Personal life:...
.
Early life
Grenier was born in Santa Fe, New MexicoSanta Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
and raised in Manhattan, New York, by his mother, Karesse Grenier, a real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
agent. His mother met his father, John Dunbar, in a commune
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
in the 1970s and the two were never married. Grenier is of Apache
Apache
Apache is the collective term for several culturally related groups of Native Americans in the United States originally from the Southwest United States. These indigenous peoples of North America speak a Southern Athabaskan language, which is related linguistically to the languages of Athabaskan...
and European descent. He went to Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Career
In 1997, Grenier made his film debut in the independent drama Arresting Gena. In 1999, he played opposite Melissa Joan HartMelissa Joan Hart
Melissa Joan Catherine Hart is an American actress, writer, television director, television producer, singer and businesswoman...
in Drive Me Crazy
Drive Me Crazy
-Tracklisting:# " Crazy " - Britney Spears# "Unforgetful You" - Jars of Clay# "I Want It That Way " - Backstreet Boys# "It's All Been Done" - Barenaked Ladies# "Stranded" - Plumb...
as well as in Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
' music video "(You Drive Me) Crazy
(You Drive Me) Crazy
" Crazy" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears. The song was written and produced by Max Martin, Jörgen Elofsson, Per Magnusson and David Kreuger for Spears' debut studio album, ...Baby One More Time . It was released on August 23, 1999 by Jive Records, as the third single from the...
", and in 2001, starred in James Toback
James Toback
James Lee Toback is an American screenwriter and film director.-Early life:Toback was born in New York City. His mother, Selma Judith , was a President of The League of Women Voters and a moderator of political debates on NBC. His father, Irwin Lionel Toback, was a stockbroker and former...
's Harvard Man
Harvard Man
Harvard Man is a 2001 feature film written and directed by James Toback. It had only a limited distribution in theatres in July 2002, and received little critical or popular acclaim, although it achieved some success when it was released on video and DVD in October of that year.The film stars...
. In 2002, Grenier made his directorial debut with the documentary, Shot in the Dark. The documentary chronicles his years-long search for his father, with whom Grenier's mother broke up when Adrian was still a baby. Grenier and Dunbar remained estranged for 18 years, and in 2001, Adrian began work on the documentary in an attempt to forge a relationship with Dunbar. The two eventually reunited and maintain a warm relationship. HBO premiered the documentary on June 3, 2007.
In 2004, Grenier landed the lead role in the HBO series Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
, which has brought him his most substantial notice and success. In 2006, he won a role in The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada (film)
The Devil Wears Prada is a 2006 comedy-drama film, a loose screen adaptation of Lauren Weisberger's 2003 novel of the same name. It stars Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs, a recent college graduate who goes to New York City and gets a job as a co-assistant to powerful and demanding fashion magazine...
, as Anne Hathaway
Anne Hathaway (actress)
Anne Jacqueline Hathaway is an American actress. After several stage roles, she appeared in the 1999 television series Get Real. She played Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries...
's boyfriend, Nate.
On June 2, 2008, Grenier's new show, Alter Eco, premiered on Planet Green. The show features the actor and his team of green experts showing changes that can be made to become more eco-friendly.
On September 27, 2010 HBO premiered the documentary Teenage Paparazzo
Teenage Paparazzo
Teenage Paparazzo is a 2010 documentary film about the life and times of a 14-year-old Paparazzi photographer named Austin Visschedyk. It was directed by actor Adrian Grenier. Produced by Adrian Grenier and Matthew Cooke.-Film premise:...
, a film concerning the relationship between the celebrity and society that Grenier worked on for three years as a producer. The work features interviews with celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan
Lindsay Lohan is an American actress, pop singer and model. She began her career as a child fashion model before making her motion picture debut in Disney's 1998 remake of The Parent Trap at the age of 11...
, Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin
Alexander Rae "Alec" Baldwin III is an American actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television.Baldwin first gained recognition through television for his work in the soap opera Knots Landing in the role of Joshua Rush. He was a cast member for two seasons before his character was killed off...
, and Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
.
In addition to being a filmmaker, Grenier is also a musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, playing guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, drum
Drum
The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s, French horn, and the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. He is a member of two New York bands, lead singer in Kid Friendly and drummer in The Honey Brothers.
Grenier currently lives in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Clinton Hill, Brooklyn
Clinton Hill is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the borough of Brooklyn in New York City. It is bordered on the east by Bedford-Stuyvesant, on the west by Fort Greene, on the north by Wallabout Bay and on the south by Prospect Heights...
.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Arresting Gena | Kabush | |
| 1997 | Hurricane Streets Hurricane Streets Hurricane Streets is a 1997 American coming-of-age drama which was the debut feature film from writer-director Morgan J. Freeman . The film won the Audience, Best Director, and Best Cinematography Awards at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival—the first film ever to win three awards at the festival... |
Punk | Alternative title: Hurricane |
| 1998 | Fishes Outta Water | ||
| 1998 | Celebrity Celebrity (film) Celebrity is a 1998 comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The screenplay focuses on the divergent paths a couple takes following their divorce.-Plot:... |
Darrow's Entourage | |
| 1998 | Sebastian Cole | ||
| 1999 | Drive Me Crazy Drive Me Crazy -Tracklisting:# " Crazy " - Britney Spears# "Unforgetful You" - Jars of Clay# "I Want It That Way " - Backstreet Boys# "It's All Been Done" - Barenaked Ladies# "Stranded" - Plumb... |
Chase Hammond | |
| 2000 | Cecil B. Demented Cecil B. Demented Cecil B. Demented is a 2000 black comedy film written and directed by John Waters. The film stars Melanie Griffith as a snobby A-list Hollywood actress who is kidnapped by a band of terrorist filmmakers who force her to star in their underground film... |
Lyle | |
| 2001 | Harvard Man Harvard Man Harvard Man is a 2001 feature film written and directed by James Toback. It had only a limited distribution in theatres in July 2002, and received little critical or popular acclaim, although it achieved some success when it was released on video and DVD in October of that year.The film stars... |
Alan Jensen | |
| 2001 | Artificial Intelligence: AI | Teen in van | |
| 2002 | Love in the Time of Money | Nick | |
| 2002 | Hart's War Hart's War Hart's War is a 2002 film about a World War II prisoner of war based on the novel by John Katzenbach starring Bruce Willis, Colin Farrell, Terrence Howard and Marcel Iureş... |
Pvt. Daniel E. Abrams | |
| 2002 | Shot in the Dark | Himself | Documentary film Documentary film Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record... , director, producer |
| 2003 | Bringing Rain Bringing Rain Bringing Rain is a 2003 independent film written and directed by Noah Buschel. It premiered on May 10, 2003 at the Tribeca Film Festival and was released on DVD on September 20, 2005... |
Clay Askins | |
| 2003 | Anything Else Anything Else Anything Else is a 2003 romantic comedy film. The film was written and directed by Woody Allen, produced by his sister Letty Aronson, and stars Jason Biggs, Christina Ricci, Woody Allen, Stockard Channing, Danny DeVito, Jimmy Fallon and KaDee Strickland.... |
Ray Polito | |
| 2004 | Tony N' Tina's Wedding Tony n' Tina's Wedding -Film adaptation:The play was "freely" adapted for film by writer-director Roger Paradiso— "filmed primarily from the point of view of a lisping videographer"—with Joey McIntyre and Mila Kunis playing the title characters... |
Michael | |
| 2005 | John | ||
| 2006 | Across the Hall | Julian | Short film Short subject A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all... , associate producer |
| 2006 | Nate | ||
| 2006 | Euthanasia Euthanasia Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending a life in order to relieve pain and suffering.... |
|
Writer, director |
| 2007 | Off Hour | Bruno | |
| 2008 | Adventures of Power Adventures of Power Adventures of Power is an American feature film written and directed by Ari Gold, starring Ari Gold, Michael McKean, Jane Lynch, Shoshannah Stern, Chiu Chi Ling, and Adrian Grenier and featuring Steven Williams, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Annie Golden and Nick Kroll, with a cameo performance by Rush drummer... |
Dallas Houston | |
| 2009 | Where Are Who Now | |
Director, producer |
| 2010 | Teenage Paparazzo Teenage Paparazzo Teenage Paparazzo is a 2010 documentary film about the life and times of a 14-year-old Paparazzi photographer named Austin Visschedyk. It was directed by actor Adrian Grenier. Produced by Adrian Grenier and Matthew Cooke.-Film premise:... |
Himself | Documentary film Documentary film Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record... , director, producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Freshening Up | Noah | Short film |
| 2004–2011 | Entourage Entourage (TV series) Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons... |
Vincent Chase | 96 episodes |
| 2008 | Alter Eco Alter Eco Alter Eco is a France-based alternative trading organization, founded in 1998 by Tristan Lecomte, which specializes in the import and distribution of Fairtrade products.... |
Himself | 9 episodes Executive producer |
| 2010 | 90210 90210 (TV series) 90210 is an American teen drama television series developed by Rob Thomas, Jeff Judah and Gabe Sachs, and the fourth series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise created by Darren Star. 90210 is the first series produced by CBS Productions under the company's re-launch, but is now produced by CBS... |
Himself | 1 episode |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Title of work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Teen Choice Award | TV – Choice Chemistry | Entourage (Shared with Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon Kevin Dillon Kevin Dillon is an American actor.Kevin Dillon is also the name of:*Kevin Dillon , character from Rodman Philbrick's young adult novel Freak the Mighty and the film based on it, The Mighty... , Jerry Ferrara Jerry Ferrara Jerry Ferrara is an American actor best known for his work as "Turtle" aka Sal on the HBO comedy series Entourage.-Biography:Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ferrara attended New Utrecht High School. Ferrara is of Italian descent.... , and Jeremy Piven Jeremy Piven Jeremy Samuel Piven is an American film producer and actor best known for his role as Ari Gold in the television series Entourage for which he has won three Emmy Awards as well as several other nominations for Best Supporting Actor.... ) |
Nominated |
| 2007 | Teen Choice Award | Choice TV Actor: comedy | Entourage | Nominated |
| 2007 | New York International Independent Film and Video Festival New York International Independent Film and Video Festival New York International Independent Film and Video Festival is a film screening event in various American cities. It was founded in 1993, and its website claims it has been recognized by the film and entertainment industry as one of the leading film events on the independent festival circuit... |
Best Actor | Off Hour | Won |
| 2007 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Entourage (Shared with Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Rex Lee Rex Lee Rex Lee is an American actor. He is best known for his role on the HBO original series, Entourage, as Lloyd Lee.-Early life:Lee was born in Warren, Ohio... , Debi Mazar Debi Mazar Deborah "Debi" Mazar is an American actress, perhaps best known for her Jersey Girl-type roles; as sharp-tongued women in independent films; and for her recurring role as press agent Shauna Roberts on the HBO series Entourage.-Early life:... , Jeremy Piven, and Perrey Reeves Perrey Reeves Perrey Reeves is an American film and television actress best known for her role on HBO's Entourage.- Life and career :... ) |
Nominated |
| 2008 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Entourage (Shared with Rhys Coiro Rhys Coiro Rhys Coiro is an American film, television and stage actor. Coiro may be best known for his role on the HBO original series Entourage as Billy Walsh.-Personal life:... , Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara, Rex Lee, Jeremy Piven, and Perrey Reeves) |
Nominated |
| 2008 | Vail Film Festival Vail Film Festival The Vail Film Festival is a four-day film festival that has taken place annually in late March or early April in Vail, Colorado since 2004. The 2011 Vail film festival took place March 31 - April 3 in Vail, Colorado... |
Blue Sky Tribute Award | Won |