Ari Gold (Entourage) - Inspiration

Inspiration

Ari's character is based in part on the real-life Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel, who broke away from mega-agency ICM to form the Endeavor Talent Agency, which represents such stars as Vin Diesel and Larry David, both of whom are represented on the show by the fictional Ari Gold. Likewise, both Emanuel and Gold represent series producer, Mark Wahlberg, upon whose experiences in Hollywood the series is loosely based. Ari Emanuel also once represented Jeremy Piven himself, and in an interview on the special features of the Season 3 Part 2 DVD, Entourage creator Doug Ellin says that Ari Emanuel demanded the "Ari Gold" part be cast to Piven and wouldn't accept anyone else to play him. Ari Gold, in the Episode 'Playin with Fire' says that director Peter Berg was his room mate in college. Jeremy Piven played talkshow comedy writer "Jerry" in 25 episodes of The Larry Sanders Show (1992-1998 HBO).

Ari Emanuel is the brother of Rahm Emanuel, the current mayor of Chicago, formerly the White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama, and a member of the House of Representatives, representing a Chicago-area district.