Piven concentrated on football by day and studying improvisational techniques by night at his parents' repertory. After graduating from high school, he attended Drake University as a student of the theater. Later earning his degree from New York University, Piven also attended the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and The National Theater of Great Britain, where he trained intensively in Shakespearean acting.

Between projects, Piven and his lifelong friend, John Cusack, founded the New Criminals Theater Company in Chicago, an experimental troupe that mounted boisterous productions performed in a brash style. Says Piven, "Unless an entire row of people got up in the middle of a performance and left the theater in disgust, I felt as though I hadn't done my job."

Piven, most recognized for his years as Ellen's cousin, Spence Kovak, on ABC's "Ellen," was first brought to Los Angeles on 1989 by Carol Burnett's "Carol & Co." He played the edgy head writer on "The Larry Sanders Show" for two seasons and starred as Nathan Green, the high-strung, unemployed father of two, in "Pride & Joy."

Piven's feature film credits include "Grosse Point Blank" with John Cusack; "Heat," opposite Robert De Niro and Al Pacino; "Larger Than Life" with Bill Murray; "Kiss the Girls" with Morgan Freeman; "Phoenix," starring Ray Liotta; "Music From Another Room," starring Jude Law; and the independent films "Layin' Low" and "Livers Ain't Cheap." He also appeared in the acclaimed cable television movie, "Only in America: The Life and Crimes of Don King."

Personal Information

Birthplace: New York, NY
Hometown: Evanston, IL
Birthdate: July 26
Height: 5'9"
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown

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