‘Entourage’s’ Hollywood Ending

When Entourage wraps its eight-year run on Sept. 11, the 25-time Emmy nominee and six-time winner will leave a legacy more meaningful than its buddy-comedy exterior might suggest. When it premiered in 2004, the HBO series quickly established itself as TV’s most important — and frighteningly accurate — show about the entertainment industry. And like its juggernaut predecessors The Sopranos and Sex and the City, Entourage captured its environs so powerfully that real-life locations from the show have become tourist hotspots, pumping much needed cash into L.A.’s economy. “A fan from Australia told me he was spending his trip touring places like the Urth Caffe and the Grove,” says co-star Kevin Connolly. “He was rattling off other places even I forgot about!” An official Entourage tour could be imminent: The show is a growing international brand, from the U.K. to Asia and now in Arabic countries (though its nudity and profanity is often removed per cultural standards). With tens of millions in DVD sales and a weekly gross of more than 8 million viewers in recent seasons, Entourage has the rare distinction of going out on a high note with the hope of an enduring life on the big screen.