“Entourage” was the answer to a lot of peo ple’s prayers.
For HBO, it was the companion show to “Sex and the City” — a boys’ version of Carrie & Co. — it had been looking for for years.
For fans of a certain age, it was a short, weekly shot of glamour, sex and comedy about the mesmerizing glow of celebrity. And for the stars of the show — well, for them, it was a ticket on the Space Shuttle.
To mark the final season of “Entourage” — which begins Sunday night — Adrian Grenier (Vincent Chase), Kevin Connolly (Eric Murphy), Jerry Ferrara (Turtle) and the show’s creator, Doug Ellin, talk about what it was like to go from working at Boston Market one day to flirting with movie stars in Tinseltown the next.
Ring, ring!
Ferrara: I was in LA for about two years — without a car! That’s basically like being in jail.
I had to bum rides off friends to get to casting calls. I would basically take a horrible job at a restaurant to pay my rent, while trying to land acting jobs. I was even forced to work at Boston Market.
I would land roles for like $2,000, which gave me enough money to curse out my boss at one of the restaurants and quit. It was a horrible cycle.
Ellin: I had just made a couple of movies that I sold to studios, but they didn’t do very well. I was able to sustain myself for 12 years, but I actually was thinking about law school and even signed up for the LSAT.
From the top, please
Connolly: During the auditions, I kept looking around the room, trying to figure out who was there to play who. There were tons of Vinces and Turtles. And then, I see [Kevin Dillon] sitting there.
I knew he was the only person there reading for Drama’s role.
Ellin: I remember meeting [Ferrara] and being like: ‘This kid looks like he’s 12 . . . How the hell are we gonna make people believe he went to high school with [Dillon]?’
Ferrara: I did look like I was 12. I couldn’t even grow the beard back then. I got really nervous because some of the producers started saying they may be looking for older people.
Connolly: Poor [Ferrara]! They kept making him put on different jerseys to make him look older.
He read the same line like 25 times with a different jersey on. It was hysterical.
Grenier: I actually didn’t feel much pressure at all. I went in with this nonchalant attitude. The fact I wasn’t nervous or worried about what they thought must have worked to my advantage. That’s Vince. His character doesn’t care what people think or say.
First episode
Ellin: I remember shooting until 4 a.m. and waking up not knowing where I was because I was so tired.
The last scene is just Vince and Turtle smoking a bong. I was like: ‘This is terrible.’
Grenier: To be honest it felt like being in an indie film . . . The budget was so tight. There was a ton of pressure. Each decision was stressed over.
There was a meeting held to discuss which way my hair would look like for a specific scene. I was like: ‘What the hell is going on here?’
Ferrara: I remember there being a lot of insecure people . . . a lot of questions and second-guessing.
Grenier: I was trying to figure out my character through the whole first season. How could a guy from New York be attracted to these fake blondes in LA?
Ferrara: For me, a huge struggle was how do I act Monday through Friday.
I only had a few roles before, and they were [filmed] in like a day or two . . . I was terrified I was going to be fired because you have no idea if people are going to find you entertaining.
Connolly: I had done so many pilots before “Entourage” that I wasn’t really thinking about what would happen afterwards.
I was more like, ‘It’s HBO. We’ll get a nice paycheck and I’ll just hope for the best.’
We arrive
Ellin: Well, the ratings weren’t so great, and the New York Post trashed us. My hometown paper! [Laughs]
I’ve never taken anything for granted. I always approached it like I’m in a contract year.
Connolly: Once the show wrapped, I would walk into restaurants in LA and notice people whispering and pointing at me.
Everything seemed to happen in an instant. We shot the pilot and, the next thing I know, the show took off.
Grenier: To be honest, I [only] recently realized just how special the show really is . . . I was too busy enjoying the ride.
Ferrara: Well, I know the exact moment. The cast had gone to this really nice dinner gathering for a small award we received. And, as the night wore down, a big-shot agent — who will remain nameless — said they were leaving early because they had to get up at 4 a.m. for the announcement of Golden Globe nominations.
The agent gave me a back-handed compliment saying: ‘You’re show is good. Maybe four or five years from now, you’ll get a nomination.’
I remember going to bed saying, ‘I just hope we get asked back for a second season.’
My phone went off at 5 a.m. with news we were nominated for Best New Show.
I couldn’t f- -king believe it!