It’s a case of life imitating art imitating life! The series finale of Entourage found Adrian Grenier‘s character, Vincent Chase, helping his buddies accomplish their goals. Now Adrian himself is doing the same by digitally distributing a new offbeat and inspirational documentary called Don’t Quit Your Daydream, which chronicles his pals in the band The Good Listeners (Clark Stiles and Nathan Khyber) as they go on an epic road trip across America. The trip finds finds them collaborating with eclectic musicians from all walks of life (students, swamp tour guides, mechanics) in order to collectively write and record their third album. In Touch caught up with Adrian and talked to him about Daydream, Jane Lynch, the Entourage movie and his search for love.
IT: How did Don’t Quit Your Daydream come about?
AG: The Good Listeners are a band I’ve been very close with. Clark mixed my band The Honey Brothers’ first album, and then we became friends. We actually lived together for a while, and they rehearsed in my house. I was very blessed to have them provide concerts in my home. Clark wanted to make this film about other musicians who are devoted to playing and understanding what that drive is fundamentally. I thought it was a great idea, so I offered my assistance. With a very modest budget, he went out and made this really beautiful film. Clark was able to express something and I think that people will be able to discover a great band as well. If The Good Listeners weren’t that great, I don’t think the movie would’ve worked! The music is the key for me. I’m not really poised to be a huge rock star and with the industry being what it is, being a rock star isn’t a common thing anymore. The idea is we still play music, but why is it we’re playing it? It’s not to be famous. Music is a spiritual, bonding experience.
IT: It seems that like Vince, you like to use your shine to give others the spotlight.
AG: Of course, I look around, and I see such talent amongst my friends. I’m lucky to have the opportunity that I do. At a certain level it’s luck, the opportunities we get, so I love to support my friends who are just as talented and worthy, but maybe don’t have the same leverage that I do.
IT: Toward the end of Entourage, we also saw Vince interviewing his ex-girlfriends in a Sherman’s March-style documentary. You’ve directed two documentaries yourself (Shot in the Dark and Teenage Paparazzo). Coincidence?
AG: I think [Entourage creator] Doug Ellin knows my love for documentaries and, as Doug does, he borrowed from real life and gave a little shout out to me. He knows that my next film involves the subject of love. It’s a documentary journey about love, sex and getting older.
IT: Jane Lynch’s Emmys joke about Entourage [“A lot of people are very curious why I’m a lesbian… ladies and gentlemen, the cast of Entourage“] caused a stir. What was your reaction to it?
AG: It’s nice to know that we’ve inspired Jane Lynch to such a great degree, in a such a fundamental way, to the core! I’m very honored that we managed to move somebody. We opened the door of the closet for her!
IT: A lot of fans found the Entourage finale rushed and abrupt. What did you think?
AG: Of course, I would have liked to see more episodes, we could’ve developed all of that more, but you’ve got to stop somewhere, if you are in fact going to stop. I’m looking forward to just getting into the Entourage movie, because I think that’s the point we get into the nuances of what happens next. I think we owe to the franchise, we owe to the fans, and we owe it ourselves. [If it doesn’t happen,] it’s not for lack of will!
IT: We’ll find out if Vince went through with the wedding — but will we find out how he got Sophia (Alice Eve) to marry him in the first place? If not, you should put that in your love documentary.
AG: [laughs] Vince is a charmer. I think she was in the bag from the beginning, to be honest. She was already into it — she just didn’t want to admit it. Vince has it easy!
Don’t Quit Your Daydream is available via iTunes. For more info, go to dontquityourdaydream.com.
