Jeremy Piven pulled out of “Speed The Plow” on Broadway citing a mystery illness from mercury poisoning and eating too much fish. He said that doctors diagnosed him with high levels of mercury in his system, and says that his reasoning for jumping ship is legitimate.
Piven admits that he faced “embarrassing” public skepticism about the sudden decision to leave the Broadway show, but he says none of that is as bad as the health condition from which he was suffering.
He says, “The reality is, I was brought to my knees by this illness. It feels like the heaviest bout of mono you’ve ever had in your life. It was completely overwhelming to the point where you get vertigo and it’s not healthy.”
He also revealed that three of his doctors told him to rest, but that he needed further convincing to give up Broadway. Despite all of that, he still says that doing the show was a positive experience for him.
He says, “This was the dream of my career, to do Broadway. The last thing I wanted to do was leave the show. I’m so proud of the work that was done there.”
Piven also plans to recover from this illness before returning to the studio to work on “Entourage“, which he starts filming on March 15th.
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Jeremy Piven will abruptly end his run in Broadway’s “Speed-the-Plow,†after missing Tuesday evening’s performance and a Wednesday matinee.
Piven has informed the producers that he hasn’t been feeling well and that the condition is attributable to a high mercury count.
The show’s producers weren’t returning calls, but Daily Variety reached out to David Mamet, who wrote the showbiz satire and seemed skeptical of the reasons for Piven’s departure.
“I talked to Jeremy on the phone, and he told me that he discovered that he had a very high level of mercury. So my understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer.â€
Mamet indicated that the show will go on despite Piven’s exit.
“The good news is that some really great actors will be helping out and stepping in, which to me is a sign of great heroism and friendship,†said Mamet, who declined to name the replacements.
Piven, who opened alongside Elisabeth Moss and Raul Esparza in the successful revival of Mamet’s play on Oct. 23, had been expected to stay until late February.
A spokeswoman for the actor said he wanted to continue in the role but that doctors advised him he should end his run immediately.
The show is one of a handful of star-driven play revivals to log strong sales this fall, with “Plow†generally averaging more than $500,000 per week since opening to strong reviews.
Piven’s spokeswoman said the diagnosis came from a team of doctors headed by Dr. Carlon Colker, an internist and attending physician at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York and Greenwich Hospital in Connecticut, and also CEO and medical director of Peak Wellness.
Colker could not be reached for comment.
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