Born in Manhattan and raised in Evanston, Illinois, he is an alumnus of
the Piven Theatre Workshop founded by his parents (Byrne Piven and Joyce Hiller Piven)
and a one time Chicago stage actor.
[on
how to make an impression in small roles] From the get-go, I'd keep talking and never stop. Literally, I would
take single lines and just keep going. In Runaway Jury (2003), there are so many
great actors but I got lucky because I'm standing next to Dustin Hoffman!
That's the secret; Get next to him and they can't cut you out!
