Kevin Connolly

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'Entourage's' Kevin Connolly to Star in CBS' James Van Der Beek Comedy

4:30 PM PST 3/6/2013 by Lesley Goldberg

He'll play the former "Apartment 23" star's best friend in "Friends With Better Lives."

The Entourage alum has joined the cast of CBS' comedy pilot Friends With Better Lives, The Hollywood Reporter has learned, marking his first series gig since the HBO comedy ended its eight-season run in 2011.

The multicamera comedy revolves around a group of six thirtysomething friends who each thinks the other has it better. Connolly will star as Bobby Lutz, a gynecologist, devoted husband and modern father.

More of a girls' guy than a guys' guy, Bobby's a former nerd who is now cute in an academic way with three kids who consume every second of his time but is somewhat jealous of the fact that his best friend Will (Apartment 23's James Van Der Beek) is dating 25-year-old models who want to have sex all the time.

Dana Klein (Friends) will write and exec produce alongside Kapital Entertainment's Aaron Kaplan with prolific director James Burrows on board to helm the 20th Television pilot. Brooklyn Decker and Rick Donald co-star.

In addition to his eight-season turn as Eric Murphy on Doug Ellin's HBO comedy Entourage, Connolly's credits include the features Hotel Noir, Secretariat, The Ugly Truth and He's Just Not That Into You. He's repped by CAA, 3 Arts and Morris Yorn.

Connolly's casting comes a day after his former onscreen Entourage love interest Emmanuelle Chriqui joined the castof CBS' drama pilot The Ordained, bringing E and Sloan back together at the network.

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Kevin Connolly Hockey Doc Leads Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival

"Big Shot," which uncovers John Spano's fraudulent purchase of the New York Islanders, is one of nine sports-themed films to screen at the annual festival.

This year’s incarnation will consist of nine films, including four titles from ESPN Films’ upcoming Nine for IX series, which celebrates the 40th anniversary of Title IX with nine documentary films about women in sports directed by female directors.

The lineup includes the world premiere of Big Shot, directed by Kevin Connolly, will serve as the gala premiere April 19. Connolly is returning to Tribeca having debuted his feature, Gardener of Eden, in 2007. In Big Shot, Connolly chronicles John Spano’s fraudulent purchase of the New York Islanders. In 1996, Spano bought the hockey team for a staggering $165 million but lacked the assets to complete the deal, marking one of the biggest frauds in professional sports.

“The sports film offerings at this year’s festival give sports fans and movie buffs tremendous opportunities to experience the many ways that sports intersect with our culture,” said Genna Terranova, director of programming for the Tribeca Film Festival.

Added Connelly: "I've always thought the expression ‘passion project’ was kind of a cliche until I started working on Big Shot for ESPN. Working side by side and spending time with guys that I literally grew up idolizing has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The whole experience, including having the film premiere in New York at the festival, has been a dream come true.”

Founded in 2006, the festival has become the premier showcase for independent sports films. This year's festival will run April 17-28, during the Tribeca fest, at locations around New York.

In addition to the film series, the Tribeca/ESPN Sports Film Festival will present Sports Day as part of the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair. Sports Day, which will take place April 27, offers fans an opportunity to engage in a variety of free, sports-related games and activities. Some of New York’s most popular athletes, mascots and sports personalities will make guest appearances throughout the day.

Hollywood Reporter

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With Tobey Maguire's wife, Jen Meyer.

Kevin Connolly‏@mrkevinconnolly

"@CourteneyCox: Happy birthday to my dear friend @mrkevinconnolly!!! @JenMeyerJewelry pic.twitter.com/QZzOlsdBra" Thanks for dinner girls!!!

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Kevin Connolly tells John Spano's tale in 'Big Shot'

April 15, 2013 9:35 PM By NEIL BEST[email protected]

Kevin Connolly is excited -- about how his Islanders are playing, and about the fact that his movie about the Islanders is set for its world premiere Friday at the Tribeca Film Festival.

But the actor / director would be even more excited if he has to update the film before it makes its TV debut on ESPN in October.

"I was thinking, plenty of time to go in and re-cut that third act!" he said last week from California, where he was putting the finishing touches on "Big Shot," his documentary about the brief, notorious reign of owner John Spano.

"There can be tweaks. If the Islanders make some noise -- my lips to God's ears -- and make a dramatic run to the Cup, yeah, things can change."

Forgive Connolly, 39, his exuberance. Like most longtime Islanders fans, the Patchogue-Medford High alum has had little to cheer for in recent seasons, so the team's recent hot streak is cause for celebration.

It serves as a neat contrast to the Spano saga of 1996-97, one of the oddest episodes in NHL history, when a man who turned out to be a fraud was allowed to purchase a storied franchise.

Focusing on Spano, who was convicted of bank fraud in 1998 and spent more than four years in prison, was not Connolly's idea. Originally, he was set merely to narrate, but when another director dropped out, he stepped in, not anticipating how much work would be involved.

"I had visions of me sitting in a cool editing room in Santa Monica, Calif., cutting together old Islanders highlights; it didn't work out that way," he said. "But it's been a tremendous experience."

Connolly, best known for his role as Eric Murphy on the HBO series "Entourage," said of the opportunity to make a film for ESPN about the Isles, " 'It's a dream come true' would be sort of putting it mildly."

Even as he told Spano's tale, he insisted on weaving in the story of the Islanders themselves and what they mean to their community.

"In the editing room, they were like, 'Kevin, we can't do nine minutes on the Islanders' comeback against Pittsburgh [in the 1982 playoffs],' " he said. "My first cut was three hours long. But you have to understand that's what is so great about '30 for 30' is what they really want are human stories with sports backdrops."

Hence Spano, a figure Connolly found compelling and sympathetic. (Spano is scheduled to attend the premiere.)

Connolly had enough material without Spano, including an interview with Newsday's John Valenti, whose coverage helped expose the scandal. "Newsday is like the hero of the movie," said Connolly, who played former Newsday columnist Bill Nack in "Secretariat."

But getting to the former owner would be a coup. Initially he met with Spano's attorney, Nick Gravante, and insisted he "was not looking to do a hatchet job." Rather, he said, "I really did want to tell a fair and balanced story with more of a 'Catch Me if You Can' vibe."

The pitch worked. "John, I would strangely consider a friend in a weird way," he said. "We have had our ups and downs. We've had our battles and our screaming matches -- some pretty nasty ones -- but we always seem to end on common ground.

"I don't think John is a bad guy. I think he's someone who would have preferred the movie not happen, but it did, and I think he knew it was in his best interest to participate because we were doing the movie with him or without him.''

How might viewers feel about the one-time owner?

Said Connolly: "You're going to walk away saying, 'Hey, man, say what you want about this guy, but he took a crack at the ultimate American dream.' He said in the movie, 'Was it worth it? The repercussions were massive. It altered my life. But for four months, I owned the Islanders.'

http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/neil-best/kevin-connolly-tells-john-spano-s-tale-in-big-shot-1.5076701