Whatever Happened To Adrian Grenier?

Throughout the late '90s and early 2000s, Hollywood introduced the world to a new batch of heartthrobs that included actors like Freddie Prinze Jr., Josh Hartnett, and Chad Michael Murray. Also on that list? Adrian Grenier, who, by 1999, seemed ready to take Tinseltown by storm, partly thanks to the movie "Drive Me Crazy." In the teen romcom, he starred alongside a young Melissa Joan Hart, who has had a stunning transformation of her own, and even appeared in a Britney Spears music video that was released along with the movie. The ball only kept rolling, and he went on to star in the hit HBO show "Entourage" and being part of the cast of "The Devil Wears Prada." 

After he racked up these high-profile acting credits, it seemed fair to assume that Grenier would become one of the more prominent leading men in Hollywood for years to come. Despite his incredible success out the gate, his filmography would ebb and flow over the years, and he seemingly disappeared from Hollywood altogether.

In recent years, Grenier has transitioned from actor to producer, entrepreneur, social activist, and most notably, family man. While isn't totally opposed to getting in front of the camera at this point in his career, it does not seem to be his top priority by any stretch of the imagination. Here's what Adrian Grenier's life has looked like since his "Entourage" days and how he stays busy.

Before "Entourage" ended, Adrian Grenier began dipping his toes into philanthropic ventures. In 2010, he co-founded SHFT with film producer Peter Glatzer. According to the website, SHFT is a media company that aims to produce, promote, and highlight all creative forms of media that make a difference in the world. Through its conception, their notion to "entertain and inspire" has been at the forefront, leading Grenier to develop a stronger opinion on what that truly means. 

In 2011, Grenier's entrepreneurial direction became more focused. As he explained to HuffPost, SHFT's mission was sustainability. The environmental organization sought to shed light on their marketplace, where they generously guide people to use tools that are conducive to the health of our environment. Alongside documentary style originals and interview features with fellow stars like Forest Whitaker, Grenier deemed this to be a unique niche that, given his career, was meaningful to him. "It's just such a powerful tool," Grenier told HuffPost. "With us, we come from such a narrative background, as filmmakers, so it was a natural thing for us to delve into."

The final season of "Entourage" aired on HBO in 2011, but it would not be long before Adrian Grenier was back on the small screen. However, it was for a very different project. In 2012, he appeared on "Finding Your Roots." The PBS series, which is still churning out new seasons as of this writing, pulls celebrities from all walks of life and digs into their genealogy, often unearthing previously unknown pieces of their ancestry. Actor Julia Roberts, for example, learned about her family's connection to slavery, while musician Ciara was delighted to find out she is related to baseball star Derek Jeter. When Grenier went on the show's first season, he also had a chance to dig into his lineage. 

As "Finding Your Roots" host Henry Louis Gates Jr. revealed, Grenier's maternal 11th great-grandfather, Hernán Martin Serrano, was one of the original Spanish settlers in New Mexico. Through exploring his Spanish colonial roots, Grenier also learned about his great-grandfather's unfortunate connection to Juan De Oñate, one of the last conquistadors who led a massacre of the Pueblo people. Prior to appearing on the show, Grenier had been led to believe he had Native American roots, and his family tree did indeed confirm this, as Serrano had a son with an indigenous woman named Doña Inés.  "It's nice to know that I was, in fact, connected to that lineage," he stated. "But it was much more complex than I ever imagined."

Adrian Grenier has been in the documentary game since the early '00s, and his projects have covered a wide range of topics. For example, in 2010 he released a feature called "Teenage Paparazzo," which attempted to flip the script on the paparazzi industry by following a 13-year-old celebrity photographer by the name of Austin Visschedyk. Grenier's attempt to bridge the gap between celebrities and paparazzi appeared to be a success, despite Visschedyk still showing an interest in the career. In a 2010 interview with Sundance, Grenier noted that this was a "big fat kiss to the paparazzi."

A few years later, he dove into the world of the drug trade. Working closely with the creator of "The Wire," David Simon, the two released the 2013 doc "How to Make Money Selling Drugs," which explored the ways drug dealing has evolved over the years and got into the impact of problematic drug laws. In an interview with Vice, Grenier noted that he was inspired to produce the documentary because he hoped to shed light on the topic rather than pull from his personal experience. "One of the luxuries of having a President who has admitted to smoking pot is that we can all at least admit to that," he said. "I'll admit to smoking pot and I've experimented — but my experimentation days are long gone." The documentary, which featured 50 Cent and Woody Harrelson, was met with praise. 

"Entourage," which ran from 2004 to 2011, was a major hit for HBO, and after it drew to a close, it wasn't long before fans were clamoring for a reboot or sequel. Four years after the series finale aired, fans got their wish in the form of a full-fledged movie. Once news of its release in the summer of 2015 came out, Grenier chatted with Nerdist about how he felt about bringing Vinny Chase to the big screen. "It's a joy, man. It's a real treat to be able to come back and get the gang back together," he said. "It's like a big family reunion, not only with the cast of 'Entourage,' but also with the whole crew. Many of the same faces from the past eight years are back, and it's just a lot of fun." 

The film, which featured stars like the stunning Emily Ratajkowski and the late Bob Saget, wasn't exactly a hit with the critics, and it certainly wasn't the box office smash HBO envisioned. However, that doesn't necessarily mean there's no hope for another installment at some point down the road. Creator Doug Ellin seemingly teased audiences about a potential reboot in 2020, it churned up chatter about  whether "Entourage" would come back as a series rather than a film. And then, when asked about this during a 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Grenier noted that he wouldn't rule it out. "I'm pretty open to anything," he stated. "I'm pretty focused right now, but if there's an opportunity to reboot 'Entourage,' I'd certainly take a look."

In 2015, Adrian Grenier joined the cast of "Mission Force One" — originally named "Miles from Tomorrowland" — as Captain Joe, the main character's uncle. The star-studded cast included notable names like Olivia Munn and Tom Kenny. On top of all that, the show's creator, Sascha Paladino happened to be a longtime friend of Grenier. 

Grenier and Paladino were beyond excited to join forces for this project. When asked about their history by The Hollywood Reporter, Paladino explained just how deep their friendship roots go. "Adrian and I have known each other for 25 years," he explained. "We met on the same Little League team and ended up going to high school together at LaGuardia in New York." After learning about the project through the grapevine, Grenier expressed interest in working on the show, which saw Paladino immediately embrace the idea, casting him sporadically for 12 episodes throughout its first and second seasons. "I was thrilled because I thought he'd be perfect for this character and a way for us to work together," he said. "We made movies together as kids, and this would be a way for us to reconnect."

Though audiences loved the devil-may-care attitude of Vincent Chase from "Entourage," Adrian Grenier's real-life actions eventually caught up with him. As he shared on a 2024 episode of "The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast," he went through a breakup that totally shifted the way he viewed himself. "I thought I was a good person. I really did," he said. "It wasn't until I was in my 40s and the love of my life, who I was dating at the time, she dumped me. In no uncertain terms, said, 'You are the worst.'" According to Grenier, she drew up a list of reasons why she no longer wanted to be with him, including but not limited to his drinking and his attitude toward intimate relationships. This caught Grenier off guard, as he saw himself as a philanthropic and selfless person. "You know, moms that love their kids, they tell them they're good, and no one ever told me that I was bad, or that I could be," he said.

In turn, Grenier set himself on a path of self-redemption that included stepping away from acting. "I called my agent and I said, 'I need some time to figure some stuff out.' ... and so that really began my steps toward, I think, growing up," he explained. After he stepped away from the spotlight to work through personal matters, he and that aforementioned ex, Jordan Roemmel, eventually reunited. "It took a long time. I had to become a new thing, a new person," he said. "And then I had to convince her that I'd changed."

In 2015, Adrian Grenier kicked off another philanthropic venture called The Lonely Whale Foundation. Inspired by the 52-hertz whale, Grenier set out to launch initiatives that not only advocate for ocean life but offer steps toward improving it. In 2017, for example, the actor promoted the Stop Sucking campaign on "Sway in the Morning," which was an effort to get the public and corporations to move away from using plastic straws. "Our goal for the first year is to eliminate 15 billion plastic straws," he explained. "So, we need a big chain to come on board. Right now, we're looking at Starbucks, 'cause we're in Seattle. So, you know, hashtag 'Stop sucking,' hashtag 'Starbucks,' because if they stopped sucking, it would be a huge impact."

Grenier continued to make efforts toward improving ocean life, but also the environment as a whole. In 2021, People reported that the Lonely Whale Foundation participated in the Discovery+ series "Action Planet," centered around the betterment of the planet. "I think it's always a good idea to bring awareness to the work that's been done out in the world by incredible organizations and human beings who are dedicated to making the world just maybe a little bit better," he told the outlet.

Though Adrian Grenier took a break from acting, it didn't last forever. After the "Entourage" movie, he popped up in some direct-to-video movies, including the action flick "Arsenal" and the crime drama "Marauders." After that he went on to nab a role in the political thriller "Affairs of State." Don't worry, he also had a chance to take on some more lighthearted projects around that time too: Grenier also starred in the Hallmark movies "Love at First Glance" and "Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays." And then in 2021, he appeared in the Netflix series "Clickbait."

Grenier reflected on the role in a chat with Entertainment Weekly, noting that the overall premise caught his attention right away. "It's a very curious series," he explained. "At first blush, just on the surface, it's a thriller; it's a whodunnit. But really, the depth of it is exploring issues of identity, especially in the technology world. It's really very interesting exploring what it's like to be alive at a time of the internet, avatars, catfishing, all those things." In it, he plays Nick Brewer, who is on the receiving end of these cyberattacks, which, in turn, deteriorated his entire personal life. The Netflix original was only a miniseries that ran for eight episodes.  

As previously noted, Adrian Grenier did a lot of soul-searching after he hit pause on his acting career. He also continued to form a deep connection with nature, which prompted him to launch the lifestyle platform, Earth Speed Media, in 2023. While this mirrored his other philanthropic organizations, Earth Speed Media was unique in its presentation, from a documentary-style YouTube series to podcasts. 

It also reflected his lifestyle change, which, according to his interview at The Future of Food at SXSW, was a lifestyle that's "in the cadence of nature." He'd reiterate the same notion in a 2022 interview with "Make Yourself at Home," where he defined what home means to him. "To me, home is our relationship with nature, and that's what we've been exploring on my show, 'Earth Speed' — really, the idea that we have a place in the world. That we are at home in the Earth, on the Earth, with the Earth," he explained. "As a species, I think we've been wrestling with that because we've spent so much time trying to assert our dominion over nature. ... So, for me, home is really coming back down into the soil, onto the Earth, living in nature, recognizing that we've always been home."

In 2017, Adrian Grenier was first spotted with Jordan Roemmele, but they mostly kept their relationship away from the public eye. It would be another three or so years before Grenier would confirm their relationship on Instagram. Since then, the two have lived a quiet life in Texas. In addition to Roemmele attending school for acupuncture, the two also founded Kintsugi Ranch, a 46-acre eco-friendly farm. The two took their relationship to the next level in 2022 when they decided to tie the knot while on vacation in Morocco.

According to Grenier's interview with People in 2022, the wedding was completely spontaneous. "It wasn't planned," he said. "We eloped in the Atlas Mountains while on vacation with friends in Morocco." While the thought of getting married on a whim in another country might sound like a stressful endeavor to some, it sounds like this particular union was a total breeze. "We were with a group of incredible friends, all of whom immediately rallied behind us and embraced the spontaneity of the moment," Grenier shared. "They put in so much love and effort to create a wedding from thin air."

Within just a year of marrying each other, Adrian Grenier and Jordan Roemmele wasted no time growing their family. In June 2023, Roemmele shared on Instagram that they had welcomed their first son, Seiko Aurelius Grenier. Adrian seemed to take to fatherhood like a duck to water. In 2024, he went on "Today with Jenna & Friends" and opened up about how being a dad has changed his life for the better. "I don't know if my body can contain the love," he said. "It's so expansive, I feel like I'm going to burst. I'm so in love with this kid, and he's just absolutely beautiful, and I'm so proud of him already and all he does is poop."

Just under two years after Seiko was born, Adrian and Roemmele introduced a younger sibling, Evren Saint-Eros, on March 22, 2025. Adrian took to Instagram the following month to not only announce the birth of their son but to share what made his arrival so special. "His birth was in the sanctuary of our home. It was intimate with just Mom and Dad, as his brother slept soundly in the next room," he wrote. "Already, he has shown to be a gentle teacher and a powerful peacemaker. We are so excited for this new chapter as a family of four, and to share the news now with you!"

Much has been said about Adrian Grenier's character in "The Devil Wears Prada" over the years. Though Nate was introduced as the loving boyfriend to Andy Sachs, he didn't always seem so supportive of her increasingly demanding career. In turn, Nate's behavior was one of the things from "The Devil Wears Prada" that audiences couldn't ignore. During his 2021 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Grenier noted that the enduring negative reaction to his character was a shock to him, but he ultimately understood where fans were coming from. "I might've been as immature as him at the time, so I personally couldn't see his shortcomings," he said. "But after time to reflect and much deliberation, I've come to realize the truth in that perspective," he said.

So when news about a sequel to "The Devil Wears Prada" circulated, it was up in the air whether the polarizing character would be back for another round. "The Devil Wears Prada" was arguably Anne Hathaway's breakout role, and understandably, fans were thrilled to hear she would be in the sequel. Beloved actors Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci are also set to make a return. Once production on the sequel started in June 2025, Entertainment Weekly confirmed that Grenier would not reprise his role. Sounds like he's thrown his T-Mobile Sidekick into the Place de la Concorde fountain and moved on for good.