Jeremy Piven News

The New York Times is reporting that Actors' Equity will hold a hearing on February 26th regarding the grievance filed against the actor Jeremy Piven by the producers of the Broadway play 'Speed-the-Plow'.

The New York Post's Michael Riedel is reporting that Jeremy Piven is expected to appear in person before the grievance committee of Actors' Equity tomorrow to defend his claim that high levels of mercury in his bloodstream, brought on by a passion for sushi, forced him to abandon the Broadway revival of David Mamet's 'Speed-the-Plow.'

Speed-The-Plow concludes its limited run today, Sunday, February 22, 2009.

The New York Times is reporting that Actors' Equity will hold a hearing on February 26th regarding the grievance filed against the actor Jeremy Piven by the producers of the Broadway play 'Speed-the-Plow'.

The 15th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards were simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2009 at 8 p.m. ET/PT, 7 p.m. CT, and 6 p.m. MT from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center.

Broadway producers Jeffrey Richards announced in an official statement on Friday that, 'The producers of SPEED THE PLOW have officially filed a grievance with Actors' Equity re: Jeremy Piven's departure. A date for the arbitration is to be determined.' Piven countered with his own response stating, 'The claims made by the producers of Speed-the-Plow are absurd and outrageous. Mr. Piven's serious medical condition has been well documented by multiple physicians. He withdrew from the play due to medical necessity on the advice of his doctors, after he was hospitalized and warned by his physicians that enforced rest was necessary in order to avoid serious medical problems, including a heart attack.' There is now rumors on the street intimating that the grievance was actually filed a week earlier than first reported but was kept quiet as SPEED producers didn't want any more negative press for the hit show. Sources also reveal that Piven's exit from the Broadway drama has given Hollywood producers pause regarding the Emmy winning actor. That being said up until the SPEED-THE-PLOW scandal he was sought after by industry executives and was celebrated by his peers in relation to his work in television and film.

The following statement has just been released to the media by Jeremy Piven's publicist. Stay tuned to BroadwayWorld.com for future updates as they become available.

SPEED-THE-PLOW producer Jeffrey Richards is not taking Piven's 'fishy' pleas regarding his departure from the show sitting down. Richards announced in a statement that, 'The producers of SPEED THE PLOW have officially filed a grievance with Actors' Equity re: Jeremy Piven's departure. A date for the arbitration is to be determined.' Jeremy Piven defended his sudden and shocking exit from SPEED-THE-PLOW in an exclusive interview on 'Good Morning America' yesterday morning. Piven told GMA host Diane Sawyer was 'brought to my knees' by his condition and said that on doctor's orders he 'couldn't do it.' 'You talk about 'the show must go on,' this is in my DNA. To have the rap be on me that I walked out on this thing. ... This was the greatest moment of my life,' he revealed to Sawyer. To watch the entire video visit the official ABC GMA site by going here.

Jeremy Piven, for the first time on a national news program defended his sudden and shocking exit from SPEED-THE-PLOW in an exclusive interview on 'Good Morning America' this morning. Piven told GMA host Diane Sawyer was 'brought to my knees' by his condition and said that on doctor's orders he 'couldn't do it.' 'You talk about 'the show must go on,' this is in my DNA. To have the rap be on me that I walked out on this thing. ... This was the greatest moment of my life,' he revealed to Sawyer. To watch the entire video visit the official GMA site by going here.

Jeremy Piven has been talking mercury poisoning for the past number of days and he'll continue his toxicity talking points tour on tomorrow's GOOD MORNING AMERICA between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. Jeremy Piven claimed he was too sick with 'mercury poisoning' to show up for his Broadway show and abruptly left the production under a cloud of questions and mystery. In a Dec. 18 statement the play's producers gave a statement regarding the Piven exit, 'We have been advised by Jeremy Piven's medical representatives that he is seriously ill and is unable to fulfill his contractual obligation to Speed-the-Plow. Consequently, he has left the production ten weeks early.'

Former Speed-The-Plow star and mercury poisoning victim Jeremy Piven hit the red carpet at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards, and was vocal regarding his bailing on Broadway scandal. In an exchange with The New York Daily News' GATECRASHER gossip column, Piven continued his tale of medicial woe, but seems to have bounced back to full 'Hollywood' level health.

Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz and Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee William H. Macy have come to the rescue of the acclaimed production of David Mamet's SPEED-THE-PLOW, in the wake of the unexpected departure of Jeremy Piven.

The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards took place Sunday, January 11 2009 at The Beverly Hilton with a live telecast that aired on NBC at 8 PM (EST) and produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Former Speed-The-Plow star Jeremy Piven was out and about at last night's Golden Globe Awards, and was vocal regarding his scandalous exit from the Broadway production.

The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards took place Sunday, January 11 2009 at The Beverly Hilton with a live telecast that aired on NBC at 8 PM (EST) and produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

On the NBC Globes Pre-Show, appearing with Entourage producer Mark Walberg, Mark joked 'I'm hoping your mercury poisoning isn't contagious.' As he stepped away, host Tiki Barber asked Piven how he was feeling after having to leave his Broadway show and Piven said 'You know what, I'm so unbelievably grateful to be here and it was a completely humbling experience.

The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards will take place Sunday, January 11, 2009 at The Beverly Hilton with a live telecast airing on NBC at 8 PM (EST) and produced by Dick Clark Productions in association with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Whatever caused Jeremy Piven's stunning exit from Broadway certainly wasn't due to lack of passion or inspiration as two New York dailes reveal in their current issues.

PAGE SIX in The New York Post is reporting that former Speed-The-Plow star and 'mercury poisoning sufferer' Jeremy Piven hopped a flight from LAX to Bangkok in the last few days.

This year will be of particular interest due to the economic situation, which makes the phrase 'more for your hard earned dollar' even harder...