Piven "Plows" Broadway Crowd

Actor Jeremy Piven not only steals scenes when he appears on HBO's Entourage, but now it seems he is also the reason people were seeing the Broadway play, Speed-the-Plow. Ticket sales for Speed-the-Plow have slumped since the 43-year-old Entourage star left the show last week due to an illness. E! Online is reporting that the show made $160,000 less than it did the week before Piven announced his departure. Only about half of the seats have been filled at the Ethel Barrymore Theater, adding to the idea that Piven is the one bringing in the Broadway crowd. In the meantime, his understudy, Jordan Lage, has taken his place in the play, as a studio executive, until Tony award winner Norbert Leo Butz and Oscar winner William H. Macy take on the role.

Piven left the show last week by doctor's request because of extremely high mercury levels, which is said to have been caused from eating too much sushi.