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"Be Nice To Me," Jeremy Piven Pleads
By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 13, 2009
Modified Jan 13, 2009
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jan 13, 2009
Modified Jan 13, 2009
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Tonight's the night William H. Macy takes over the role in Speed-the-Plowthat hacktor Jeremy Piven abandoned so he could convalesce in Bangkok after a bout of "mercury poisoning" left him too "exhausted" to "perform" in the hit Broadway play. After weeks of silence, more of Piven's squirming (video) on the Golden Globes' red carpet has come to light today; speaking of Macy, Piven told the Post, "I know he'll be extraordinary in the role." No secret there; Macy is a Mamet expert. Here's the Scooby Doo in Where's My Mummy star's explanation to the Daily News:
What people don’t really know is that it’s a real illness and I am not a doctor, so I cannot identify specifically what brought me down.
"All I know is — the truth is — that I ended up in the hospital for three days. This play meant the world to me. The dream for any actor is to be on Broadway. I had a hit show — we were sold out every night — and I planned to see this thing through. But I ended up in the hospital. I had three different doctors say I needed forced rest.
"I had a resting heart rate of 47, I had six times the average person’s mercury level, and I was at the point that I needed to stop. I could have gone against doctor’s orders, but I didn’t."
According to the News, Piven wrapped the interview up by instructing the reporter to "be nice to me," then "nervously" disappeared into the crowd. Cue "Leave Jeremy Alone" YouTube rant in 3...2...
Tagged
golden globes
jeremy piven
mercury poisoning
speed the plow
william h macy
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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