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Actor Jeremy Piven Did Not Breach Contract, Independent Arbitrator Finds : The Two-Way Jeremy Piven did not violate the terms of his contract when he withdrew from a recent production of Speed-the-Plow, an independent arbitrator said.
The Two-Way

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Actor Jeremy Piven Did Not Breach Contract, Independent Arbitrator Finds

Jeremy Piven, who is well-known for playing Ari Gold on HBO's Entourage, was supposed to star in David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow last year. He didn't. Piven's doctor said the actor had mercury poisoning, so Piven withdrew from the production.

It became, as The New York Times said, "the most famous fish story on Broadway." The New York Post called it a "fish tale."

Today, George Nicolau, an independent arbitrator ruled in Piven's favor, saying he did not violate the terms of his employment contract or Equity-League collective bargaining contract when he withdrew from the play. "Jeremy Piven is off the hook," Variety said.

Piven told The Times that he felt vindicated:

I'm just a theater actor who got sick, and was physically incapable of finishing my run. And now I can put this behind me and move on. And I'm stronger than I've ever been. I had a real health scare, and now I can climb back on the stage and know that I'm strong and able to complete the mission. It's a great day.

You can read a statement from the Actors' Equity Association (AEA) here.