Entourage

Entourage aired on HBO for eight seasons from 2004 to 2011. The series follows the acting career of Vincent Chase (Adrian Grenier) and is loosely based on executive producer Mark Wahlberg’s personal experiences as an up-and-coming film star.

Vincent is joined by childhood friends and family who are also based on people in Wahlberg’s life. Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly) is Vincent’s best friend and manager, inspired by Wahlberg’s friend and the show’s associate producer, Eric Weinstein. Vince’s older half-brother Johnny “Drama” Chase (Kevin Dillon) is based on Wahlberg’s cousin, who was hired by Donnie Wahlberg in real life to keep his little brother out of trouble. Ari Gold (Jeremy Piven) is Vince’s agent and Salvatore “Turtle” Assante (Jerry Ferrara) is Vince’s driver and assistant (the character is based on the late Donnie “Donkey” Carroll, who was Wahlberg’s former “gofer.” Carroll died in 2005 due to an asthma attack.)

Entourage earned six Emmy Awards through the years, with Piven winning three times in a row for Outstanding Supporting Actor from 2006 to 2008. Piven also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor in 2008, the same year the series won a Peabody Award.