ASPEN, Colo.-
Like a modern day Rat Pack, the stars of the HBO hit series “Entourage” walk a blurred line between work and play.
They did just that during an appearance for the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival. “Every week we do a new episode, we’re in a new, exciting location. All we have to do is have fun all day long,” said series star Adrian Grenier.
In Aspen to speak on a panel for the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival late Saturday, three of the show’s leads and its executive producer dined at the hot spot Matsuhisa and partied at the private Caribou Club. Compared by some critics to the women’s ensemble show “Sex and the City,” it follows the antics of Grenier’s Vince Chase and his pack of lifelong friends who also double as his manager and go-fers, as they navigate a cutthroat Hollywood.
As much a glorification of the high life, at its core the show remains about personal relationships. “This show is about friendship and having the time of your lives,” Grenier said.
Creator Doug Ellin said the characters are composites of friends he had while growing up. “Entourage” is also loosely based on actor Mark Wahlberg’s early experiences in Hollywood.
Grenier, who has appeared in more than 20 films during the course of his short career, said he has more in common with Vince Chase than differences. “I always say I’m a ‘B’ actor playing an A-list celebrity. A lot of values of Vince’s are like mine: Being true to your friends, being humble, appreciating your circumstances and loving New York.”
The 13th U.S. Comedy Arts Festival also featured tributes to George Carlin and Don Rickles, standup comedians including Josh Blue of Denver and honored Stephen Colbert as “Person of the Year.”
