Adrian Grenier
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| Adrian Grenier | |
|---|---|
 Grenier at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York, April 2007 |
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| Born | July 10, 1976 Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, director, musician |
| Years active | 1997–present |
Adrian Grenier (born July 10, 1976) is an American actor, musician and director. He is best known for his lead role on the HBO original series, Entourage, as Vincent Chase.
Early life
Grenier was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the son of Karesse Grenier and John T. Dunbar. His parents met at a commune in the 1970s, and were never married.
Grenier was raised by his mother, a real estate agent, in Manhattan, New York. He claims to be of European and Apache descent and calls himself a "Native American white boy." He went to Bard College in New York.
Career
In 1997, Grenier made his film debut in the independent drama Arresting Gena. In 1999, he played opposite Melissa Joan Hart in Drive Me Crazy as well as in " (You Drive Me) Crazy", 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 (not to be confused with Fair Trade importers 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 December 17, 2009, Grenier and his business partner Peter Glatzer founded the green lifestyle site shft.com.
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, drums, 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.
In 2012, Grenier partnered with a Seattle, Washington brewery and former Nike designer Jim Hawkins to found Churchkey Can Company.
Grenier is a Democrat and supporter of President Obama, particularly his environmental policies, and attended the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Personal life
In 2005, Grenier purchased a $1 million dollar home in Brooklyn, New York and had it remodeled. He has installed solar panels, and says that he grew up with a lot of greenery around him.
His father was from Ohio of Northern European acestry; his mother was born in New Mexico and was part Hispanic on her father's side. A DNA test, on the PBS program Finding Your Roots, showed Adrian to have approximately 8.44% Native American ancestry and his direct maternal line's Native American descent was confirmed by his mitochondrial haplogroup C12b.
Filmography
Films
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Arresting Gena | Kabush | |
| Hurricane Streets | Punk | ||
| 1998 | Fishes Outta Water | ||
| Celebrity | Darrow's Entourage | ||
| The Adventures of Sebastian Cole | Sebastian Cole | ||
| 1999 | Drive Me Crazy | Chase Hammond | |
| 2000 | Cecil B. Demented | Lyle | |
| 2001 | Harvard Man | Alan Jensen | |
| Artificial Intelligence: AI | Teen in van | ||
| 2002 | Love in the Time of Money | Nick | |
| Hart's War | Pvt. Daniel E. Abrams | ||
| 2003 | Bringing Rain | Clay Askins | |
| Anything Else | Ray Polito | ||
| 2004 | Tony N' Tina's Wedding | Michael | |
| 2005 | A Perfect Fit | John | |
| 2006 | Across the Hall | Julian | Short film |
| The Devil Wears Prada | Nate | ||
| 2007 | Off Hour | Bruno | Short Film Award Best Actor |
| 2008 | Adventures of Power | Dallas Houston | |
| 2013 | Goodbye World | James | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Freshening Up | Noah | Short film |
| 2004–2011 | Entourage | Vincent Chase | Lead Role; 96 episodes Nominated - PRISM Awards Performance in a Comedy Series (2012) Nominated - PRISM Awards Performance in a Comedy Series (2011) Nominated - Golden Nymph Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series (2010) Nominated - ASTRA Awards Favourite International Personality or Actor (2009) Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2009) Nominated - Teen Choice Award Choice Summer TV Star: Male (2009) Nominated - Golden Nymph Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series (2008) Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2008) Nominated - Teen Choice Award Choice TV Actor: Comedy (2007) Nominated - Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2007) Nominated - Teen Choice Award Choice TV Chemistry (shared w/ cast) (2006) |
| 2010 | 90210 | Himself | Episode: Age of Inheritance |
Producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Shot in the Dark | |
| 2005 | Across the Hall | Short |
| 2008 | Alter Eco | 9 episodes |
| 2009 | Waiting For The Light To Change | |
| 2010 | Teenage Paparazzo | |
| Comprimse | ||
| Don't Quit Your Daydream | ||
| 2011 | Young Farmers | |
| 2012 | My Name Is Faith | |
| How To Make Money Selling Drugs |
Director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Shot in the Dark | |
| 2006 | Euthanasia | |
| 2010 | Teenage Paparazzo |
Writer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Euthanasia | |
| 2010 | Teenage Paparazzo |
