Entourage revolves around Vincent Chase (Adrien Grenier), a young, up-and-coming actor who eventually becomes an A-list star. His experiences are loosely based on those of Mark Wahlberg, who is also executive producer on the show. His best friend and manager is Eric Murphy (Kevin Connolly). "E", as his friends call him, is based on Wahlberg's friend and executive producer Eric Weinstein. He's also been reported to be inspired by Stephen Levinson, Wahlberg's manager. Vincent's older brother Johnny "Drama" Chase is played by Kevin Dillon, and he is also Vince's personal chef and trainer. Johnny is a C-list actor, who was in the fictional show Viking Quest during his younger days. His role in the new fictional hit show Five Towns has begun to resurrect his fame and career. This character is based on Johnny "Drama" Alves (cousin of Mark Wahlberg), whom Donnie Wahlberg had hired to keep his younger brother out of trouble. Rounding out the entourage of friends is Turtle (Jerry Ferrara), who is another of Vince's old friends from childhood. Turtle's official role is as Vince's driver and assistant, though his value as such is often brought into question. This character is based on Mark Wahlberg's former "gofer" Donnie Carroll aka "Donkey" Carroll auditioned for the role, but the Boston-native was turned down when it was decided the actors would have to be New Yorkers. Jeremy Piven plays Ari Gold, Vince's abrasive but lovable agent. The role has led to several nominations and Emmy Awards for Piven. Ari is based on Wahlberg's real-life agent Ari Emanuel. Initially a recurring guest playing Mrs. Ari Gold, Perrey Reeves became a regular in season four. Her character is a former soap opera actress who left her career in her prime at age 25 to start a family. Debi Mazar appears as Vince's loyal yet hot-tempered publicist, Shauna Roberts. Shauna is a recurring character in season one, a regular in seasons two and three, and again recurring in seasons four and five. Lloyd (Rex Lee), Ari's much maligned assistant, became a regular in season five. An openly gay Chinese American, his ethnicity and sexual orientation often help in fueling Ari's venomous barbs. Despite his sharp tongue, Ari sometimes shows a deep caring for Lloyd because he knows he cannot function without him. Rhys Coiro appears as Billy Walsh, an egotistical independent film director/artist who directed Vince in Queens Boulevard and Medellin. In season four, Vince agrees to star in another Walsh-directed film, Silo.