Jeremy Piven is not cocky or loudmouthed.

The actor recently told the Dallas News that his Ari Gold persona on Entourage of a cock, loudmouthed agent is on-screen only.

I beg to differ. I know two people whose opinions I trust beyond a shadow of a doubt. One met him while he visited the set of a movie she was in and one worked with him for an entire movie shoot (my friend was on the crew - very high up on the crew). Both said he's a dick.

And that seems to be the consensus from everyone else I talked to. He's great on Entourage - don't get me wrong. Piven saying he's not cocky or loudmouthed is like Piven saying he got mercury poisoning and that's why he had to drop out of "Speed-the-Plow".

I ain't buying it.