Entourage Mirrors Itself

June 11, 2008

Entourage creator Doug Ellin wants to assure the female fans of the show's star, Adrian Grenier, of one thing: the man who plays A-list heartthrob Vincent Chase with such laconic cool was not involved with Paris Hilton.

"He's not going out with Paris Hilton; he never really went out with her," Ellin says as he holds court at the Banff World Television Festival, where he talked to other television writers and producers about his HBO show.

"He was friendly with her, but that was it. And he's now got a very serious girlfriend."

Paparazzi shots of Grenier hanging out with the hard- partying heiress earlier this year prompted the show's female fans to take to blogs and websites to express their dismay. Ellin chuckles when told this, making a feeble attempt to defend Hilton: "Some people like her. Women buy a lot of her stuff."

That pressing issue aside, the laid-back Ellin is concerning himself with finding food -- the pizza ordered to his room at the Banff Springs Hotel is sub-par, and he's waxing poetic about the wings he had at the town's Maple Leaf restaurant the previous night and wondering if the eatery delivers.

There's no diva act here, however, despite Ellin's accomplishment in creating a show that portrays his hero, Vince, living the pampered high life with his childhood friends along for the ride. Entourage is the stuff of male fantasy, and yet Ellin has always insisted the show is more about friendship than it is the glimmering wonderland of flawless women, fast cars and leisurely pursuits that is Vince's Hollywood.

Season Five of Entourage kicks off in September, and Ellin says it's the best yet because there's more character development for people like Ari, played by the Emmy-winning Jeremy Piven, and Turtle, portrayed by Jerry Ferrara.

"This is going to be Turtle's breakout year. Jerry's been waiting his turn to get some storylines, he's been begging me, so this year he's going to have some stuff. You'll get to see him with a girlfriend, you get to see him pursue actual jobs."

There are at least two more seasons of Entourage to come, Ellin adds.

"We're doing at least seven but hopefully eight," says Ellin, who's modest when asked if he's still ripe with great ideas for Vince and the gang after five seasons.

"I don't know if I have lots of great ideas, but I'm still pumped about the show. We still have a really good time, we're all good friends -- the hardest part is the ideas, but once they get going, it's a great working environment, so we all want to keep going."