Actor Jeremy Piven was interviewed recently on the Success Magazine monthly CD (July, 2015) and I must say I’ve returned to re-listen a number of times for his boatload of inspiring golden nuggets.

He calls himself an overnight success- twenty years in the making. He plays lead in the PBS Masterpiece series, “Mr. Selfridge” and is the tantrum-throwing agent, Ari Gold in HBO’s “Entourage”.

 

If we want to work as actors, and voice actors, we must audition. Jeremy’s biggest struggle during the audition process was what he termed, “getting out of his own way”, and to be as present as possible during the audition in order  to  display all the work he’d already done. (preparation, rehearsals, classes, workouts, etc.) Many times he said he’d try too hard. You can do all the homework in the world, but if you let other variables and distractions get the best of you, you can get into trouble, and you won’t be working at your highest level.

He shares that his biggest breakthroughs came after he just let go of the need to work and in effect, trusted the universe. He let go of “desperation” . He says, ” If you put the work in and do your thing, it will work out one way or another. Go in, have a great time, do your thing, and if they get it, great. If they don’t, then you’re on to the next thing. Not being tied to any result is very attractive.”

His definition of success is your own happiness. If you keep chasing what you think is going to bring you happiness and living your life constantly measuring such things can make you a slave and get in the way of personal happiness. Piven says one must embrace the journey. It’s hard especially if you’re too ambitious. Gratitude is a very powerful thing. He meditates, works out and does yoga. He feels it’s a gift to workout! And he is buff! He says he’s a work in progress.

He feels what’s most interesting and exciting to him is living his life on the highest level, being able to contribute on the highest level as an actor, figuring out how to get better at what he does, and wants to give everything possible as an actor. He’s learned much from the characters he’s played. Like the character he plays in Mr. Selfridge. It’s his job, it’s his theater it’s being an artist, and he just can’t get enough.