LOS ANGELES (OCT. 23, 2007) – Jeremy Piven, two-time Emmy Award-winning actor and Chicago native, will receive Columbia College Chicago’s 2007 Impact Award, which honors Windy City natives who have made an indelible impact on the entertainment industry. Piven will accept the honor on Saturday, November 17, 2007, at the Montmartre Lounge [6757 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood]. Steve Kmetko (’76), Columbia College alumnus and entertainment reporter, will host the event.
Dr. Warrick L. Carter, Columbia President, said, “Jeremy and his family have a rich history in the arts community of Chicago. The Piven legacy has produced many talented performers working in the entertainment industry today, and we are proud to have Jeremy as our honoree this year.”
Piven was born and raised in Chicago where his parents founded the Piven Theatre Workshop. It was here that Piven was first introduced to the stage, and, under his parents’ tutelage, studied alongside John and Joan Cusack, Roseanna Arquette and Aidan Quinn. Piven continues to be involved with the Workshop and returns to Chicago frequently to help keep his father’s dream alive.
Piven is presently best known for his critically acclaimed portrayal of the slick, fast talking super agent ‘Ari Gold’ in the HBO original series “Entourage,” for which he has earned two Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe nominations, among other honors.
Currently, Piven stars opposite Jamie Foxx and Jennifer Garner in director Peter Berg’s political drama “The Kingdom.” He will next be seen in Guy Ritchie’s forthcoming crime action flick, “Rocknrolla,” scheduled for release next year. Piven recently signed on for the title role in the Will Farrell-produced comedy “The Goods: The Don Ready Story,” which begins production in December.
Piven has an established presence in both film and television, having appeared in over 40 feature films including “Smokin’ Aces,” “Runaway Jury,” “Old School,” “Serendipity,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Very Bad Things,” “Singles, Rush Hour 2,” “Gross Pointe Blank” and “The Family Man.” On the small screen, Piven was a series regular on “Cupid” and “Ellen” and appeared on “The Larry Sanders Show” and in the telepic “Don King: Only in America.”
The Columbia College Chicago Impact Awards event recognizes and funds Columbia College Chicago’s premiere Semester in L.A. program, the only academic program permanently located on a studio lot. Located at CBS Studio Center, Semester in L.A. introduces students to the nuts and bolts of the entertainment business. Students are immersed in a variety of intense courses where they learn how to pitch projects to professionals in the business and meet key industry players who give their time as guest speakers. Semester in L.A. gives students a unique jump-start on their burgeoning careers in the film, television, music and entertainment industry.
Presenter, performers and celebrity guests will be announced shortly.
Columbia College Chicago Impact Awards History
The Columbia College Chicago Impact Awards (formerly the Chicago Spirit Awards) was created in 2003 to honor Chicagoans who have “made it” in Hollywood without losing touch with their roots. The award is presented annually to individuals who succeed in the entertainment industry while maintaining the work ethic and loyalty that are synonymous with Chicago. Previous honorees and attendees have included Virginia Madsen, Jim Belushi, Joe Mantegna, Dennis Franz, director Charlie Carner, and former chairman of Paramount Pictures, Sherry Lansing.
Columbia College Chicago
Columbia College Chicago is the largest and most diverse arts and media college in the nation with 80,000 living alumni, 3,000 of whom work and reside in the Los Angeles area. Among notable alumni are producer Len Amato (“Analyze This”), cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (“Schindler’s List”), comedian Andy Richter, rapper Common, Michelle Monaghan (“Mission: Impossible III”), animator Genndy Tartakovsky (“Star Wars: Clone Wars”), and producing partners Bob Teitel and George Tillman (“Barbershop” and “Roll Bounce”). Enrolling some 12,000 students on its Chicago campus, Columbia offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate programs in the visual, performing, media and communication arts.
Media contact: Chicago: Priscilla Hunter, 312.344.7805, 312.286.6624 (cell) or phunter@colum.edu