Ari Emanuel in Roll the Calls directly acknowledges being the real-life model for Ari Gold from Entourage, making clear distinctions between similarities and differences between them.
How Emanuel Addresses Being Ari Gold’s Inspiration
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He states he never watched the show while it was on because it caused him anxiety. He notes that although people often conflated him with the character, he didn’t want to see the portrayal while it was airing. Only after many years did he finally begin watching.
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He confirms that the character helped his career — after Entourage became popular, people “take [his] calls ten times faster.” Even if they didn’t necessarily want to speak with Ari Emanuel, they wanted to connect with Ari Gold.
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He distinguishes himself from the character, saying that although Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold rings some true, Emanuel is “definitely not that person anymore.” He has worked to become emotionally more complex and less like the caricature.
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He addresses how Doug Ellin, creator of Entourage, originally conceived the Ari Gold character as a composite of Emanuel and another agent, Jeff Jacobs. Over time, Emanuel’s traits became the dominant influence.
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