"High mercury levels" force Piven out of SPEED-THE-PLOW- Page 6

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 6:38pm

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/19/theater/19pive.html?_r=1&ref=theater


Seems like he's been trying to get out of the show for a while...sheesh...was he telling the producers that he had dangerous mercury levels back then???

And very interesting that he was trying to find his own replacement...must have been really desperate to get out of there.

I say onward and upward...Macy and Butz will be awesome.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 6:56pm

It might be an occurence of Dean Jones syndrome.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 7:27pm

At least the NYTimes is starting to dig towards the bottom of this farce and separate the truth from the obfuscations. I'm sure all the icky details will come out eventually.

[Chrysanthemum62001]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 8:02pm

I wish him well, but certainly not a trip back to Broadway. I think he got more than he bargained for, and as far as I'm concerned, he can stick to the west coast.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 8:13pm

Jeffrey Richards is his own publicist. It's no shocker that he already did an interview; I'm surprised it took so long.

Piven must have been miserable if he was actually looking for his own replacement.

[bestinshow2]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 8:15pm

Interview with Dr. Carlin on WebMD:

http://www.webmd.com/news/20081218/jeremy-pivens-high-mercury-count?src=RSS_PUBLIC

[Kevn520]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 8:32pm

Ew. Who eats sushi twice a day willingly?

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 8:56pm

Um, he was hospitalized for three days? Obviously Dr Quack-- er, Colker doesn't know much about a Broadway performance schedule. Jeremy hadn't missed a performance until Tuesday. He did the show Sunday afternoon, and was back in LA on Wednesday.

So when in that time span was he in the (mysterious, unnamed) hospital for three days?

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 9:15pm

Sunday night, Monday, Tuesday.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 9:21pm

And if he was legitimately in the hospital, he (or his talkative doctor) couldn't be bothered to call his employers and tell them, quite simply, that he was IN THE HOSPITAL and he wouldn't be able to go on that night?

Three days in the hospital = three day old fish

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 9:27pm

If the issue really is his diet, then the fix has to do with his diet. He's gonna be tired no matter if he rests or not. I could understand taking even a week off for exhaustion, but months?! That just exposes the fact that this is an excuse to drop out of a show he is contracted to perform. It's the sort of typical Hollywood laziness that the play seeks to expose, and I'm ashamed of Piven for it.

[Plum]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 9:46pm

I have a lot of lingering affection for Piven from Cupid (and probably because I don't watch Entourage), but I have to say...yeah, this story is bizarre. I'd like to give him the benefit of the doubt, but he's not making it easy.

[wonkit]

Posted: 12/18/08 at 10:32pm

Colker clearly fancies himself as "doctor to the stars."

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 12:49am

Piven's doctor taking the blame is like the guy who apologized for his face getting in the way of Cheney's gun.

[Plum]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 12:58am

Because the doctor's the victim here somehow? Your metaphor doesn't hold up.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 1:37am

Show closes, Major lawsuit, I hope Piven loses his shirt for this, his name had made the show a hit.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 1:38am

I hope the show is able to stay open, but also that Piven gets what he deserves for his behavior. Legitimately ill or not, he hasn't handled this with much grace at all.

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 3:00am

PalJoey quoted this fragment: “The ideology is unclear, but his level of mercury was uncharacteristically high, one of the highest we’ve seen,” Colker said.

Interesting ('freudian') slip -- not sure on whose part yet.

The "ideology" -- that would be the "thinking behind the thing." Usually, though, we talk about "etiology," which refers to the "precipitating factor(s) of the thing." I would have expected the doctor to say, "the etiology (cause) is unclear..."

So, hmmmm, whose thinking/"ideology" was unclear --? in thinking up this excuse for a tv personality who wanted to get that Broadway thing on his resume?...

I'm so sick of these rookies -- if you're a celebrity, and want to have that Broadway credit to point to, then LEARN to ACT in the Theatre, please.

First thing, tv- and film-types, that means you have to memorize the Whole Script and say it the same way every time.

Second, you have to do it eight times a week. The whole play and everything.

Jeremy and Cedric are having drinks together right now.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 10:09am

Hey, now. Cedric was great in his role. Don't lump him into this mess.

[jordangirl]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 10:11am

I didn't see Cedric, but... I think you may mean Terrence LadyDramaturg2

[kooky]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 11:12am

Oh poor little fella, he probably can;t take the discipline and energy of doing 8 shows
a week.... that probably made his mercury levers go very high.... as soon as he goes
back to L.A. and starts to party again - - - it will probably drop his mercury level
REAL FAST ! Good Bye Mr. P.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 11:20am

It is all definitely odd, but since I'm not directly involved, I don't think I'll pretend to know the truth. I've always liked Piven as an actor, but I don't know him personally, so I don't feel very comfortable judging him at this point.

[wexy]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 11:23am

Any fours? Go fish.

[humbugfoto]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 11:28am

Heh. The fish story is starting to stink even more. A rather revealing article on Dr Quack-- er, Colker:

Meet Mercury-Poisoned Jeremy Piven's Fishy Celebrity Doctor

[Morgaine885]

Posted: 12/19/08 at 11:43am

I honestly think the fact that Raul was getting so many accolades had something to do with this.

Didn't a few reviews come right out and SAY, "Sure, people are coming to see Jeremy Piven, but Esparza is the true star here?"

And I think one said something like, "Esparza runs away with the entire show when Piven is not looking." (Which I don't think is entirely true, because Moss is great in her role, too.)

He couldn't handle not being the one everyone was falling over...and he acted like a spoiled child and wanted-out.

Well, Mr. Piven...when you go home and polish all your Emmy and Golden Globe awards, remember that guy who was passed over for a Tony for what most feel was the best performance by a leading actor in a musical in years...and still comes to work every day and gives his best in every show he's done since then.

This has done nothing but make me respect and admire hardworking, humble stage actors even more.