Piven's portrayal inspires sacking

Jeremy Piven's character in 'Entourage' has inspired actors to fire their real-life agents, according to the star.

Piven plays Ari Gold, a straight-talking Hollywood representative, in the hit US show, and the role has had a profound effect on actors who watch the series.

He tells New York gossip column PageSix: “The best are the other actors who tell me they’ve fired their agent because they want a rep who’s more like Ari. All you can do is try to tell them not to base real-life decisions on fictional characters.”

But the actor is baffled by fans who confuse him with the character, and often finds himself telling them his real name.

He adds: “A lot of fans scream ‘Ari!’ at me. It doesn’t annoy me. I go right over, tell them my real name and that I’m just the actor who plays Ari."