NEW ORLEANS — Actor Kevin Dillon, best known for his eight-year role as Johnny Drama in the HBO ensemble show Entourage, arrived in New Orleans Friday to reign as Bacchus in the 2024 parade.
Dillon, 58, has had a solid career of acting in movies and TV shows but his Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated turn as the brother of shining star Vincent Chase is his calling card.
Shouting his Entourage signature call of “Victory,” Dillon arrived at the Hilton Riverside and tossed doubloons and generally reveled in his good fortune for the role of a lifetime.
Dillon said he loves New Orleans but had never been here for Mardi Gras. He was stunned to hear that close to one million people could be in attendance for Bacchus’ roll down St. Charles Avenue and through the Central Business District.
“I’ve done a little research,” he said to WWL Louisiana’s Meg Farris. “I know I’m gonna be on a big float and looking really good as king.” As for throwing “coins” as he called them, for 3-4 hours, he opined that he “might throw my arm out.”
Dillon will be wined and dined during his short stay in the city, with meals at some of the city’s finest restaurants and his own entourage of a half dozen or so friends who came along for the ride.