Plenty Magazing (2006/08): A TV Star Returns to His Roots

ADRIAN GRENIER, the star of HBO’s hit comedy Entourage and this summer’s film adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada, is relaxing in Brooklyn, tossing around phrases like “off the grid” and “r-value,” the term that identifies insulation’s resistance to heat flow. His Prius is parked in Hollywood, but his biggest commitment to environmental conservation is in the heart of Brooklyn, where he’s building a sustainable home. At this moment, he’s the opposite of his Entourage alter ego, Vinny Chase, who’s much more interested in finding off-the-hook parties than off-the-grid energy sources.

“Renovating is daunting enough, but adding the additional research and decision-making to create a greener house makes it that much more stressful,” says Grenier. “I’ll be honest—sometimes I wanted to give up and go with the status quo.” Instead, he surfed the Internet in search of ideas, ultimately finding GreenHomeNYC (greenhomenyc.org), a volunteer organization of professional green building consultants that offers advice to New York City tenants and homeowners on greening up their living quarters. With the help of consultant Lauren Gropper, Grenier was able to direct his contractor to eco-friendly materials for practically every application in the house