Cast of 'Entourage' shoot the breeze, and an episode, in Maspeth

BY LISA L. COLANGELO

Monday, September 8th 2008, 2:10 PM

Corkery/News

Actors (from l.) Jerry Ferrara, Kevin DIllon, Kevin Connolly and Adrian Grenier get ready to slip back into character for HBO's popular "Entourage" series.

Corkery/News

While a group of children recruited as extras strain to get a look at the TV stars...

Corkery/News

...firefighters greet actor Kevin Connolly during a break in the filming.

The cast of "Entourage" lent some star power to a quiet block in Maspeth recently when they filmed an episode of the popular HBOseries there.

Showing that they really are just a bunch of Queens boys at heart, Vince (Adrian Grenier) Eric (Kevin Connolly), Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Drama (Kevin Dillon) leave glitzy Los Angeles to visit Vince's mom at her modest home near the intersection of 41st Drive and 58th St.

In the episode, which is scheduled to air later in the season, the stars are welcomed back to their old neighborhood with a backyard barbecue.

The show focuses on actor Vincent Chase, who lives with his brother and friends in Los Angeles. Once a mega-movie star and hunk, Chase saw his fortunes fade a bit last season with the tanking of his film "Medellin."

For once, Drama is avoiding his younger brother's big shadow now that he has his own successful TV show named "Five Towns."

This season, Vince is expected to look for ways to rejuvenate his career, while Drama deals with a long-distance romance and an appearance on "The View." Eric, Vince's best friend and manager, tries to help him rebound while working on his own growing management company.

The new season will feature numerous guest shots ranging from "Sopranos" starJamie-Lynn Sigler and Leighton Meester of "Gossip Girl" to singer Tony Bennettand golfer Phil Mickelson.

Actor Mark Wahlberg, who executive produces the show, will also make a special appearance. The characters are based on Wahlberg's own entourage.

While the characters often discuss their Queens roots - one of Vince's pet projects was an indie film titled "Queens Boulevard" - this is the first time an episode is being shot in the borough.

The cast and crew mingled with neighbors during the shoot, posed for pictures and met local firefighters.

The show's fifth season premiered on Sunday.