Biography

Shared an apartment with John Cusack.

Parents ran a theatre school in Chicago which John Cusack, Joan Cusack and Ann Cusack attended.

His character Ari in HBO's Entourage (2004) is based on real-life Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel.

Frequently acts in movies with John Cusack, such as: Bob Roberts (1992), Elvis Stories (1989), Floundering (1994), The Grifters (1990), Grosse Pointe Blank (1997), One Crazy Summer (1986), The Player (1992), Say Anything (1989), Serendipity (2001), Runaway Jury (2003).

Has played drums for most of his life, and plays them quite well.

[on how to make an impression in small roles] From the get-go, I'd keep talking and never stop. Literally, I would take single lines and just keep going. In Runaway Jury (2003), there are so many great actors but I got lucky because I'm standing next to Dustin Hoffman! That's the secret; Get next to him and they can't cut you out!

John Cusack and I have been friends since childhood, and the fact that we're in so many films together is, no pun intended, serendipitous. I audition and, after I find out I've got the job, I call Johnny and say "Hey, man, we're going to be in New Orleans together". And because we've done a bunch of films, people connect the dots. But that's not the case.

When I was in London I saw Ralph Fiennes in "Brandt". My mother and I went to the stage door, because we were so blown away by it. We were just gushing American fans. And then this guy went, Omigod, Jeremy Piven!" And he started giving it up in a very un-British way. It was a strange moment.

[on Chicago] I have a place in Chicago and I get there as much as I can . . . The city is so unbelievably beautiful. It's one of the greatest cities on the planet. My heart beats differently when I'm in Chicago. It slows down and I feel more at ease.

It's your job as an actor to fill out the blanks. I love doing that. To fill in the bones.