Actor Jeremy Piven has dropped out of the Broadway production Speed The Plow blaming a high mercury count. Piven, who plays hard-partying Hollywood agent Ari Gold on hit television show Entourage, claims he is too sick to perform in the David Mamet play and has flown back to Los Angeles to seek help.

Piven's sudden exit from the play left David Mamet surprised who joked, "My understanding is that he is leaving show business to pursue a career as a thermometer."

Mercury poisoning is most often caused by eating a lot of fish with high levels of mercury and can cause birth defects in pregnant women. Most common symptoms include sensory impairment, disturbed sensation and a lack of coordination which if you've ever seen Piven act, would be incredibly hard to diagnose.