from www.torontosun.com – Playing a fictionalized version of herself on Entourage was a brave move for Sasha Grey.

The real-life Grey, 22, is a former adult-film star who now is trying to carve a mainstream acting career for herself. But the version of Grey that appeared on Entourage was not a particularly good influence on her boyfriend Vincent Chase, played by Adrian Grenier.

Entourage’s Grey led Vinnie down a path of drug abuse and reckless behaviour that threatened his career. So did the real-life Grey have any concerns about perception?

“Yeah, I definitely was kind of worried about what my current fans would think and what fans who watch Entourage and are just discovering me would think,” Grey admitted.

“But at the same time, it’s Entourage. It’s known for celebrity appearances with people playing fictionalized versions of themselves.”

Then Grey laughed as she added, “So to me it was like, if you don’t get that, then maybe you should be watching less TV.”

Well, even if you’re watching less TV – and no one is suggesting that, let’s not get crazy – it’s tough not to notice Sasha Grey these days. Actually, if you’re passing by any newsstand, that’s her on the cover of the October issue of Playboy magazine.

Besides acting – she just wrapped a film called I Melt With You – and modeling, Grey also recently launched a music career and regularly performs as a DJ in the U.S. and Canada. Later this fall she plans to release her first book, titled Neü Sex.

“Right now I personally am focusing on acting, but I enjoy having different projects going,” Grey said. “I don’t like wasting a day doing nothing. You just feel so unfulfilled – well, I do, at least.”

Obviously, Grey’s mainstream viability took a huge leap forward with Entourage.

“Doug Ellin, the creator and writer of the show, contacted me after seeing The Girlfriend Experience (a 2009 Steven Soderbergh movie starring Grey),” she said.

“They (the Entourage creative team) were inspired by the Charlie Sheen and Ginger Lynn relationship. So they wanted me to play a fictionalized version of myself and it was on Charlie Sheen and Ginger Lynn that they based Vince’s downfall.”

Grey moved to Los Angeles to become part of the adult industry when she was a teenager and it always was her plan to go mainstream eventually. But did the mainstream avenue open up more quickly than she anticipated?

“It did,” Grey said. “A lot of people enjoyed The Girlfriend Experience, although it was a mixed bag. People either really loved it or they just didn’t get it.

“So from there, I’ve just been working hard and trying to create more opportunities for myself. For me, it would be silly not to try to do more.”

Grey said her mainstream work has provided a side benefit for some of the fans she attracted in her adult-film career.

“I’ve always had a unique female fan base and I’ve enjoyed that,” Grey said. “Now I feel like it has allowed for more women to say, ‘Hey, I like what you do, I loved you in Entourage, but I liked you even before that.’

“It has kind of given them a validation to be comfortable saying that out loud.”