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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doug Ellin, the creator of one of the greatest TV shows in history, Entourage, joins the Pickleballers crew for one of the most entertaining episdoes to date. Doug goes into his career before Entourage, how the show became a cultural phenomenon, how he became perhaps the biggest pickleball lover in America, and so much more. Doug is directly responsible for the boom of pickleball in Southern California and has played a huge role in introducing tons of celebrities, athletes, and pros to the sport.
(00:00) – Meet The Godfather of Pickleball
(02:56) – Doug’s career before Hollywood
(04:56) – How a short film led to Showtime
(06:58) – Almost directed The Parent Trap at (22)
(08:04) – Film school and making The Pitch
(10:00) – Working with David Schwimmer & Jon Cryer
(11:04) – His first feature films and big breaks
(12:23) – From Hollywood high to movie jail
(13:12) – The birth of Entourage
(14:27) – Building the world of Vince & E
(15:56) – Casting, rewrites, and HBO drama
(18:05) – How Entourage became a hit
(20:00) – The hard work behind Entourage
(22:25) – Directors, mistakes, and lucky breaks
(25:32) – The moment Doug knew it worked
(28:43) – How Entourage took over pop culture
(30:06) – Leaving Entourage and the toll it took
(31:20) – The Entourage movie
(35:25) – Doug discovers pickleball with Phil Mickelson
(37:31) – Early days with Anna Leigh Waters
(39:11) – Trying to buy into pickleball early
(41:12) – How the game outgrew him
(43:42) – Pickleball changed forever during COVID
(45:53) – Anna Leigh Waters’ swagger at (13)
(47:04) – The Marty Fish showdown
(49:03) – Doug’s take on Robbie Bellamy’s game
(50:57) – Can power beat pickleball IQ?
(52:15) – Doug’s dream pickleball games
(53:36) – Doug needs a new hip… then watch out
(54:22) – What Doug loves about today’s game
(56:06) – Should smack talk be legal?
(58:01) – The great bagel argument game
(1:01:01) – Pickleball as a multigenerational bond
(1:02:38) – From Drew Brees to backyard games
(1:03:32) – Could Doug win a PPA match with Ben Johns?
(1:04:22) – Doug’s favorite pros to watch
(1:06:05) – What makes pickleball special
(1:06:44) – If Doug made a pickleball movie…
(1:08:16) – Final words from The Godfather of Pickleball