'Entourage's Adrian Grenier: 5 Things You Didn't Know About the Actor

9:38 PM PDT 7/20/2011 by THR staff

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Grenier -- who studied molecular biology in college -- is saying goodbye to his character Vincent Chase after eight seasons.

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Entourage star Adrian Grenier is gearing up to say goodbye to his HBO series after eight seasons.

The comedy -- which also stars Jeremy Piven, Kevin Connolly, Kevin Dillon and Jerry Ferrara -- has its final season premiere Sunday.

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Here are five things to know about the actor:

1. He studied molecular biology in college. Grenier attended Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., where he spent time in the science lab before discovering that drama was his passion. He made his film debut in the 1997 indie drama Arresting Gena and two years later co-starred with Melissa Joan Hart in the movie Drive Me Crazy (he also appeared in a Britney Spears video for the soundtrack).

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2. He originally had no desire to do TV. When he was first approached about Entourage, he initially said: "I don't do TV." But he was swayed by the script, saying he could relate to the character. "The friends I have are friends I've had since high school, and I vowed to them that I would share the wealth if I ever got to that point," he has said.

3. He is self-deprecating about his looks. The actor, who is of European and Apache descent, calls himself a "Native American white boy." As for his looks, "I have a sizable head," he has said. "All my features are big -- big eyebrows, big nose, big lips, big old tender earlobes, big hair. I have a lot of presence."

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4. He was estranged from his father for 18 years. Grenier didn't know his dad, John Dunbar, when he was growing up. In 2001, he set out to reconnect with his father and chronicled the efforts in a documentary, A Shot in the Dark, made with his friend Jonathan Davidson. The two successfully reunited and have stayed in touch. "My father makes me feel safe and complete," Grenier has said. "Maybe I can do that for a child someday."

5. He supports environmental causes. Grenier not only starred in the unscripted show Alter Eco, an eco lifestyle and makeover series that aired on Planet Green, but also has been seen holding signs that read "Green is gold" for paparazzi.

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