Adrian Grenier

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Adrian Grenier
Grenier in 2014
Born
Adrian Sean Grenier

(1976-07-10) July 10, 1976 (age 47)
Education
Occupations
Years active1997–present
Spouse
Jordan Roemmele
(m. 2022)
[1]
Children1

Adrian Sean Grenier (born July 10, 1976) is an American actor, producer, director, and musician. He is best known for his portrayal of Vincent Chase in the television series Entourage (2004–2011). He has appeared in films such as Drive Me Crazy (1999), The Devil Wears Prada (2006), Trash Fire (2016), and Marauders (2016). In 2021, he acted in the Netflix series Clickbait.

Early life[edit]

Grenier was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico,[2][3] the son of Karesse Grenier and John Dunbar. His parents were never married. He was raised by his mother in New York City.[2] His mother was born in New Mexico to a family of mostly Mexican, Spanish, and some French descent.[2]

A DNA test on a 2012 episode of the series Finding Your Roots showed Grenier to have approximately 8% Native American ancestry and that his direct matrilineal line is Native American.[4][5][6] The program determined that his ancestor Diego de Montoya (born in Texcoco, New Spain in 1596) was the leader of an encomienda, a protectorate of Puebloan peoples in Pueblo San Pedro in New Mexico.[4][7] He shares this ancestor with author and commentator Linda Chavez, making them ninth cousins.[8] As of 2016, Grenier self-identifies as "part Apache Indian."[9]

Grenier graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and attended Bard College in New York.[10][11] Adrian Grenier and Jordan Roemmele officially became husband and wife after getting married in a romantic ceremony beside their loved ones in Morocco.[12]

Career[edit]

Acting[edit]

Grenier at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival

In 1997, Grenier left Bard to embark on a film career. He made his film debut in the independent drama Arresting Gena, then in 1999 played opposite Melissa Joan Hart in Drive Me Crazy and in 2001 starred in James Toback's Harvard Man.

In 2004, Grenier played Vincent Chase in the HBO series Entourage, gaining his most substantial notability and success.[13] The series followed the triumphs and trials in the life of Chase, as the movie star character and his friends lived the good life in Los Angeles.[14] It ran for eight seasons, from 2004 to 2011, and was nominated for numerous Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series. In 2006, he played Nate Cooper, the boyfriend of Andrea Sachs (Anne Hathaway) in The Devil Wears Prada.

In 2013, he starred in the post-apocalyptic film Goodbye World alongside Gaby Hoffmann. It premiered at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival where it received good reviews. The film made its cinematic release in the United States on April 4, 2014.[15]

Grenier stepped back in front of the camera in 2015 to reprise his role of Vincent Chase in the Entourage film adaptation. Filming began in January 2014 and the film was released in June 2015.[16][17] In 2016, Grenier shot the heist movie Marauders.[18] The film would make it to Netflix's U.S. platform's top two in December 2020.[19] Grenier also starred in the 2021 8-episode American-Australian drama/thriller miniseries, Clickbait, on Netflix, where he played Nick Brewer.

He is a campus advisor for Academy for Global Citizenship in Chicago, Illinois.

Directing and producing[edit]

As a vehicle for Grenier to transition between acting, directing, and producing, with some partners, he started Reckless Productions in 2001. The company focused on producing socially-minded films. One of its first, Shot in the Dark, chronicled Grenier's journey to reconnect with his estranged father, Dunbar, with whom his mother broke up when he was still a baby. Grenier and Dunbar remained estranged for 18 years until he began work on the documentary in an attempt to forge a relationship with him. The two eventually reunited and continue to remain in contact. This was Grenier's directorial debut and the film premiered at the 2002 Tribeca Film Festival. HBO distributed the documentary and it premiered on the channel on June 3, 2007.[20]

On June 2, 2008, Grenier premiered a new television series, Alter Eco, for which he was the producer. The show aired on the Discovery communications channel Planet Green and featured Grenier and a team of green experts showing changes that can be made to live a more eco-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.

On September 27, 2010, HBO premiered Teenage Paparazzo, a documentary directed by Grenier and produced by Bert Marcus. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The film focused on 13-year-old paparazzo Austin Visschedyk and the celebrity-obsessed world in which he operates. It also featured interviews with celebrities such as Lindsay Lohan, Alec Baldwin, and Whoopi Goldberg. Aside from HBO, Teenage Paparazzo premiered on 40 other outlets around the globe. In addition to its theatrical release, Grenier took the documentary to College campuses nationwide in the Teenage Paparazzo Experience Tour. The tour included a[21] call for art to be included in a traveling gallery that challenged the traditional understanding of celebrity and modern media.

In 2010, Grenier began working as a producer alongside producer Bert Marcus and director Matthew Cooke on the full-length feature documentary How to Make Money Selling Drugs. The film was a tongue-in-cheek look at what is considered to be one of the worst domestic policy failures in recent American history. It featured actual dealers and celebrities commenting on the subject, including; 50 Cent, Eminem, Susan Sarandon and David Simon, head writer of the HBO series The Wire. It was released in the Summer of 2013 on Amazon.com and iTunes, and it received positive reviews.[22]

Music[edit]

Grenier plays guitar, bass, drums, and harmonica.[23] He was a member of two New York bands: the lead singer in Kid Friendly and the drummer in The Honey Brothers[24] before moving on to build Wreckroom, a music incubator, and recording studio in May 2012.

Wreckroom releases EPs and a video series of cover songs, titled "Under the Covers". Two bands, Missouri "punk 'n' roll" trio Radkey and metal-spined Brooklyn five-piece The Skins, released EPs on the label in 2013.[25] Wreckroom also hosts curated music showcases in both Brooklyn and Austin.

Philanthropic efforts[edit]

SHFT.com[edit]

An advocate of sustainable living, Grenier and his business partner and film producer Peter Glatzer founded the lifestyle brand SHFT.com in 2010. SHFT is a brand that promotes sustainability through film, design, art, and culture and lives both online and offline.[26]

SHFT has partnered with brands such as Ford Motor Company, AOL/Huffington Post, Virgin America, Stonyfield Farm, The W Hollywood, The Weather Channel, and Estée Lauder. In its second year, SHFT won two Webby Awards for best website in its category.

In 2014, Grenier and Glatzer partnered with Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture to create SHFT Mobile Kitchen Classroom – a teaching kitchen on wheels for high-school students in New York City.[27]

United Nations Environment Goodwill Ambassador[edit]

On World Environment Day 2017, Grenier was appointed as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme.[28] Grenier was chosen due to his work with the Lonely Whale Foundation. In his role, Grenier advocates for reducing single-use plastic and for the protection of marine species.[29]

Bitcoin[edit]

Grenier is a Bitcoin advocate and is developing a farming community in Texas that would use cryptocurrency for exchange.[30]

Filmography[edit]

Grenier at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival

Film[edit]

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 Freshening Up Noah Short film
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 Cooper
2007 Off Hour Bruno Short Film Award Best Actor
2008 Adventures of Power Dallas Houston
2014 Goodbye World James
2015 Unity[31] Narrator Documentary
Entourage Vincent Chase
Sex, Death and Bowling Sean McAllister
2016 Trash Fire Owen Direct-to-video
Marauders Wells Direct-to-video
2017 Arsenal JP Direct-to-video
2018 Affairs of State Rob Reynolds
2019 Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays Owen Read Hallmark Movie
2020 Stage Mother Nathan
2021 Far More Sean McAllister

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
2004–2011 Entourage Vincent Chase Lead role; 96 episodes
Nominated – ASTRA Award for Favourite International Personality or Actor (2009)
Nominated – Golden Nymph Award for Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series (2008, 2010)
Nominated – PRISM Award for Performance in a Comedy Series (2011–2012)
Nominated – Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2007–2009)
Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer TV Star: Male (2009)
Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Actor Comedy (2007)
Nominated – Teen Choice Award for Choice TV Chemistry (shared w/ cast) (2006)
2008 Alter Eco Himself Docu-serie; 9 episodes
2010 90210 Himself Episode: "Age of Inheritance"
2011 Vietnam in HD Barry Romo Voice; Main role; 6 episodes
2015 Wahlburgers Himself Episode: "Drama Meets Drama"
2015–17 Miles from Tomorrowland Captain Joe Callisto Voice; Recurring role; 12 episodes
2017 Love at First Glance James Fielding Television film
2021 Clickbait Nick Brewer Miniseries

Producer[edit]

Year Title Notes
2002 Shot in the Dark
2005 Across the Hall Short film
2008 Alter Eco 9 episodes
2009 Waiting for the Light to Change
2010 Teenage Paparazzo
Compromise
Don't Quit Your Daydream
2011 Young Farmers
2012 My Name Is Faith
How To Make Money Selling Drugs
2015 52: The Search for the Loneliest Whale

Director[edit]

Year Title Notes
2002 Shot in the Dark
2006 Euthanasia
2010 Teenage Paparazzo

Writer[edit]

Year Title Notes
2006 Euthanasia
2010 Teenage Paparazzo

Music videos[edit]

Year Title Artist Role Notes
1999 (You Drive Me) Crazy Britney Spears Cameo appearance
2018 Out for Love BAYLI Lawyer

References[edit]

  1. ^ "How Adrian Grenier and Jordan Roemmele Created Their Spontaneous Wedding in Morocco 'from Thin Air'".
  2. ^ a b c Gates, Henry Louis Jr. (2014). Finding Your Roots: The Official Companion to the PBS Series. UNC Press Books. p. 382. ISBN 9781469618012.
  3. ^ Adrian Grenier at IMDb
  4. ^ a b Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr., PBS, May 20, 2012
  5. ^ Jurgensen, John (March 22, 2012). "Doubling Down on DNA". The Wall Street Journal.
  6. ^ "Q&A with Adrian Grenier". HBO Connect. 2013. Archived from the original on February 5, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
  7. ^ Esquibel, Jose Antonio. "Mestizaje: Indian Roots In 17th-Century New Mexico Family Genealogy". goodreads.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  8. ^ Jurgensen, John (March 22, 2012). "Doubling Down on DNA". The Wall Street Journal.
  9. ^ Grenier, Adrian (November 24, 2016). "AdrianGrenierOfficial". Adrian Grenier Official Facebook Page. Facebook. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  10. ^ Keck, William (August 12, 2004). "No need for his own 'Entourage'". USAToday.com.
  11. ^ Kapes, Serena (August 18, 2004). "Breakout Star: Adrian Grenier". People.com. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  12. ^ "How Adrian Grenier and Jordan Roemmele Created Their Spontaneous Wedding in Morocco 'from Thin Air'".
  13. ^ Adrian Grenier Archived October 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine at NotedGuys.com
  14. ^ Entourage Season 8 Preview, People, July 2012. Retrieved March 2014.
  15. ^ Goodbye World Trailer Starring Adrian Grenier, Gaby Hoffman, Ben Mckenzie, and Mark Webber arrives April 4, 2014, RamaScreen.com, March 2014. Retrieved March 2014.
  16. ^ Kit, Borys. 'Entourage' Movie Starts Shooting, Variety.com. Retrieved March 2014.
  17. ^ Entourage Movie Gets A Release Date, Hollywood Reporter, February 25, 2014. Retrieved March 2014.
  18. ^ Roeper, Richard (June 30, 2016). "'Marauders': A-list actors give their all in a B-movie mystery". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  19. ^ Clark, Travis. "The top 9 movies on Netflix this week, from 'Peppermint' to 'Marauders'". Business Insider. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  20. ^ Harrington, Maureen. Adrian Grenier Talks About Finding His Father, People.com, May 6, 2007. Retrieved March 2014.
  21. ^ "Teenage Paparazzo Experience Tour".
  22. ^ Interview with Adrian Grenier About His New Drug Documentary, Vice.com. Retrieved April 2014.
  23. ^ http://www.gq.com/story/adrian-grenier-adult-sleepaway-camp harmonica
  24. ^ Novak, Sara. Adrian Grenier and the Honey Brothers Talk Green Living at the Wanderlust Festival Archived September 12, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, TreeHugger.com, July 27, 2009.
  25. ^ Hogan, Marc. 'Entourage' Guy Starts His Own Music Label, Spin, May 31, 2013. Retrieved March 2014.
  26. ^ "Adrian Founds Shft.com". December 18, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2012.
  27. ^ Dean, Sam. Adrian Grenier's SHFT Mobile Kitchen Classroom Is a Food Innovator Awards Finalist, Bon Appetit, February 4, 2014. Retrieved March 2014.
  28. ^ "Hollywood Atar and Environmentalist Adrian Grenier Appointed UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador". June 5, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  29. ^ "Adrian Grenier Designated as UN Environment Programme Goodwill Ambassador". YouTube. June 6, 2017. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
  30. ^ "Actor Adrian Grenier explains why bitcoin is central to his plan to build a communal farm in Texas". cnbc. July 23, 2021.
  31. ^ Dave McNary (April 22, 2015). "Documentary 'Unity' Set for Aug. 12 Release with 100 Star Narrators". Variety. Retrieved May 1, 2015.

External links[edit]