Synopsis:
Harry is rich. Harry is married. But when Harry doesn’t trust any of it is enough, he looks to find something real in the most unlikely of places. Trust – a new play by Paul Weitz, Oscar-nominated screenwriter of About a Boy and director of the film American Pie, explores the corrosive effect of power on relationships.

Nobody could accuse Ari Graynor of being a prima donna on set. For her breakout role in the 2008 teen comedy “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist,” the actress spent countless hours over a grimy toilet bowl to play Kat Dennings’ hopelessly inebriated friend.

“For some reason that’s the part people remember, this comedic lady, but I’ve done my fair share of drama,” Graynor says.

The 27-year-old Boston native got her start on the boards as a child actor in the Wellesley Players in Massachusetts, but elected to study liberal arts at Hartford’s Trinity College.

“I didn’t want to study theater or go to school in the city,” she says. “I wanted the all-American ‘Here’s your quad’ college experience.”

But it didn’t keep her from auditioning. During school, she booked her first television gig playing Jamie-Lynn Sigler’s college roommate on “The Sopranos” and her first film role in Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River.” Ultimately, she dropped out of school to make her Broadway debut in Donald Margulies’ “Brooklyn Boy,” which she followed up with Douglas Carter Beane’s “The Little Dog Laughed.”

Graynor met her significant other, Eddie Kaye Thomas, while doing the off-Broadway play “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead.”

“I’m such a theater geek,” she says. “Most of my friends are in this community, and it’s really important for me to keep doing it. It takes the ego out of acting, whereas movies tend to involve it.”

Indie films such as “Holy Rollers,” which opens in theaters this week after premiering at Sundance, are an exception, Graynor says. For one, the story lines are quirky — Graynor plays the girlfriend of a drug dealer who catches the eye of an Orthodox Jewish drug runner, played by Jesse Eisenberg — and the shoots are no-frills.

“We struggled throughout, so there’s a real sense of community at Sundance, like ‘Wow, we made it,’” she says.

Fortunately, Graynor has been on a roll with bigger-budget fare, as well. She just wrapped “Betty Anne Waters,” in which Hilary Swank portrays the true-life character who became a lawyer to exonerate her wrongfully accused brother. (Sam Rockwell is the brother and Graynor plays his daughter). She also co-stars in the dark comedy “Lucky” with Colin Hanks as a man who wins the lottery then pursues his longtime crush.

She is currently in her hometown shooting “What’s Your Number?” with Anna Faris. The two play sisters, with Faris determined to cull her list of boyfriends past (the title refers to the number of romantic encounters one’s had) for a date to her sister’s wedding.

“We hit it off like gangbusters,” Graynor says. “There’s not many legitimately funny women out there, and she’s really forged a place for herself, which I admire.

“As an actor, your life is constant ups and downs. My friends and I joke that when a job ends and nothing is lined up, you have nothing to do for the rest of your life. You just ride that wave.”

At least Graynor has a back-up plan. “I love to cook for people,” she says. “I equate food with love.”

One of her latest recipes is a duet of slow-cooked beef ragu over fresh papardelle next to butternut squash and mascarpone ravioli. “My dream would be to go to the Hamptons and have Ina Garten [the Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa] cook me some comfort food.”

Matt Bomer, star of USA’s “White Collar,” and Ari Graynor are in negotiations to join Anna Faris in the romantic comedy “What’s Your Number?”

Mark Mylod is directing “Number,” which is being produced by Beau Flynn and Tripp Vinson of Contrafilm. The project initially was set up at Columbia, but in a rare move, the studio allowed it to migrate to Regency under the provision it get made within a certain time frame.

“Number” centers on a woman (Faris) who treks through her sexual past to find Mr. Right, exploring the idea of sexual quotas and whether such numbers matter. Jennifer Crittenden and Gabrielle Allan wrote the script based on Karyn Bosnak’s book.

Bomer will portray Faris’ dream guy, and Graynor will play her sister, whose wedding serves as a backdrop to much of the proceedings. The movie, which also counts Chris Evans in its cast, shoots this spring. The movie’s makers are hoping to populate the cast with high-profile cameos.

Bomer, repped by ICM and 3 Arts Entertainment, began his career in TV before segueing to features with such pics as “Flightplan” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.” He boomeranged back to TV, starring in ABC thriller “Traveler” and appearing on NBC’s “Chuck” before his star-making turn on “Collar.” “Number” is his first feature since 2006′s “Chainsaw.”

Graynor, repped by UTA and Principal Entertainment, broke out in “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist.” She most recently was seen in “Youth in Revolt” and starred opposite Jesse Eisenberg and Justin Bartha in the indie movie “Holy Rollers,” which premiered at Sundance this year. She next appears in “Betty Anne Waters” with Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell.

Burgeoning star Jesse Eisenberg – after his recent turn in the hit Zombieland and his earlier stunning work in such specialty fare as The Squid and the Whale – stars as Sam Gold, a devoted yet wayward Hasidic Jew in late 90’s NYC, who becomes involved in an international ecstasy ring. The film is based loosely on true events. Eisenberg will be next seen starring in The Social Network directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin.

The picture also stars Justin Bartha, of the mega-hit The Hangover, as well as rapper Q-Tip, Ari Graynor and Danny A. Abeckaser, who also produces.

The film is directed by talented first timer Kevin Asch, written by Antonio Macia, and in addition to Abeckaser, Jen Gatien, Per Melita, and Tory Tunnell.

First Independent Pictures President Gary Rubin said, “We believe in this film. It’s that simple.”

Director Kevin Asch: “As a filmmaker, you hope to work with a distributor that is as passionate about the movie as you are, and we found that in Gary Rubin and First Independent Pictures.”

Producer Danny A. Abeckaser: “After five years of nurturing this deeply personal story, it’s especially gratifying to know that the film will be shared with audiences around the US under the watchful eye of Gary Rubin and First Independent. We share the same vision and belief in this beautiful and unique independent film.”

The deal was negotiated on the producer’s behalf by Victoria Cook of Cinetic Media, with Rubin and attorney Shelley Surpin handling negotiations for First Independent.