photo credit: forbes.com
With the opening of Entourage the Movie yesterday, I thought it’d be fun to chat about the characters, their personalities, what made them attractive, but most importantly, how you can incorporate some of these characteristics into your own DNA.
For those who have no clue what I’m talking about. Entourage was a hit show on HBO, that follows 4 childhood friends, as they move from Queens, New York to Los Angeles try to live the dream through movie star Vincent Chase.
Eric Murphy, better known as “E,” went from managing a Sbarro’s to becoming Vinny’s talent manager, trying to not only get used to the business on-the-fly but also the dating scene in LA.
Johnny Drama is not only Vinny’s half-brother, but is also an actor who has tons of experience but never gets the recognition he deserves.
Turtle (few know him as Sal) is ol’ reliable. The easiest way to describe Turtle is he’s the “driver” that happens to be more connected than anyone gives him credit for.
Ari Gold is not a childhood friend but Vinny’s agent. He becomes the biggest agent in the business and is reportedly based on the real-life super agent Ari Emanuel.
Now that we got the main characters set up, I’ll take the next two days breaking down each one and discuss what about them makes them loved, hated, and loved again.
credit:
hbo.com
Vincent Chase
Let’s face it, the guy’s got the look. He’s a total pretty boy that even if he wasn’t a movie star, he’d probably still do well with the ladies. He’s the guy most other guys can’t stand. He’s the Golden Boy. But when you look closer, you realize you see a guy that has so many attractive intangibles, not because of his fame, but how he uses it — and why.
First of all, the thing you know about Vin is that he’s typically the most relaxed, chill person in the room. His favorite quote is,
“It’ll work out. It always does.”
With that mindset, he always goes into any situation knowing and believing things will work, ideally in his favor. Not a bad way to look at it when it comes to dating.
Lesson: In order to BE an attractive person, you have to DO things an attractive person does. One of the most important things he does is ASSUME he’s attractive. And until he is told otherwise by the person he’s talking to, every move he makes will be based on the affirmative.
Secondly, the man takes care of everyone around him. While he does all the work, he still provides the ideal lifestyle to his childhood friends. While most people think it’s weird to have that close of a relationship with 3 other guys, the one’s who appreciate that love Vince’s selflessness.
Lesson: The value you give to the world is your biggest asset. Whether is humor, fun, connections, experiences, or whatever else, the more you’re willing to give, the more your selflessness will be appreciated.
Lastly, Mr Chase is extremely transparent. He speaks his mind, tells you want he wants, and is unapologetic about his expectations. This lies as a gift and a curse because some may describe him as a total player in the dating, others may see him as a commitment-phobe, and others will be 100% aware of what they’re getting themselves into. Because of this, it makes it VERY hard for women to hate him, no matter what happens. Don’t believe it? Watch the second to last episode of the series where he interviews women on their “experience” with him.
My favorite quote to personify that is when a woman told him that he’d have to work for his ability to hook up with him, his response was,
“I have to work? I got in this business so I wouldn’t have to work.”
And if you think that Vince is all about being with as many women as possible, let’s not forget about Season 2 when he fell in love (again) with Mandy Moore and was crushed when she went back to her ex-fiancé. The man may not understand what love truly is but he’ll still go after it if he feels it.
Lesson: In the good words of my buddy Cort Johnson, “it’s all about expectations.” The key to having healthy, communicative relationships, is by openly stating what you’re looking for and to continue to communicate that throughout the relationship, not just verbally but congruently through your actions.
If you’re not looking to get into anything serious, then you need continuously make that clear, no matter how close you two are getting. If it’s the opposite, make sure that’s clear too. In any type of relationship, there’s no room for confusion and mixed messages.
credit: hbo.com
Eric “E” Murphy
While Vince is more quantitative with his approach to dating, E is all about the quality. And it’s not like he can’t meet women. He choose not to because he values deeper connections. But how does a former “pizza boy” make these connections while choosing NOT to mention that he’s the manager to the biggest movie start on the planet?
Eric is very traditional. He does believe in the courtship process and his lack of sexual partners may perceive him to be naive but he knows exactly what he’s doing and what women want — even though his selection of women can be questionable. (see Kristin in Season 1, and Ashley in Season 6).
Lesson: The quality of the woman you choose will ultimately effect the experience of your relationship with them. If you have a particular way of going about things when it comes to a relationship, make sure you are just as particular with the women you choose. You can have fun with quantity, but you’ll have lasting fun with quality.
E is VERY loyal. It was always funny to see E’s women get so insecure about what he’s doing and where he stands just because he’s always with the boys, especially Vinny, who, of course, is constantly surrounded by women and temptation. But Eric never got caught up in that. When he was in a relationship, he was committed and saw it through. Sure, he made costly mistakes (see: Sloan McQuewick x6), but it wasn’t without trying to make the woman he with happy.
Lesson: Women value loyalty over most other things when it comes to long-term relationships. Don’t get yourself caught up in anything serious if you can’t be loyal to her. And if you can’t, that’s 100% OK. The time will come and it’ll happen — never feel as though you have to force it.
The last thing I liked about E was that he likes to make things special and important. Whether has trying to get Sloan back or trying to break up with Ashley, he always took it seriously and put a lot of thought into it. In comparison to the other guys, it was practically over the top, but each moment defined an important point, not just in E’s life, but in the relationship he had at the time.
Lesson: Part of making a woman feel connected and special is by creating experiences with her specifically in mind. Whether you’re just meeting someone for a date or in a long-term relationship, always focus your ideas and the statements you want to make (verbally and non-verbally) clearly for her.
Check back to learn about the rest of the crew, including everyone’s favorite super agent, Ari Gold.
For now, let me ask, which Entourage character do you feel you represent the most? Which one do you most want to be like?