Emmanuelle Chriqui had the privilege of being one of the lone women in a sea of testosterone on HBO's Entourage. As Sloan McQuewick, the actress found herself in an ongoing "Will they or won't they?" with Kevin Connelly's Eric "E" Murphy. By the end of the series' eighth season, the couple was on the outs but Sloan was pregnant. Their saga continues in the new Entourage movie, out this weekend, which finds Sloan and E still trying to figure out their relationship while inundated with scantily clad Hollywood models. Chriqui, who currently stars on TNT's Murder in the First, sat down with us in LA to discuss her relationship with the boys of Entourage, Hollywood parties, and why there should be a sequel to the film.

How did you feel about the way the show wrapped up your storyline?

It's funny, I think it was very misunderstood. I think a lot of people thought Sloan and E were back together. Everyone assumed because they made up that equaled being back together. They weren't. They hugged, if you remember, as opposed to kiss and make up. The decision was "I'm going to do this. I'm going to have this baby." And that was that. And it was cool because it was sort of vague so it definitely opens it up for the film. Because she's full-preggers in the film.

Was it a given that you would do the movie if one was made?

I always hoped that it would go that way. And a little part of me was always like, "Well, it would be weird if it didn't because Sloan and E are Sloan and E." That's what people think about when they think about E. It would be kind of strange to not have her there, especially since she's pregnant with his baby. I mean, it's the guys' baby.

They do all seem to adopt the baby as their own in the movie.

Isn't that adorable? That warms my heart. Especially because I love the guys so much. The fact that our characters play that too warms my heart. That feels so right to me.

You're friends in real life?

Oh yeah, 100 percent.

Did you hang out after the show ended?

Yeah! Totally. A lot, actually. Jerry [Ferrara] was my neighbor forever. Kevin [Connolly] and I have been friends for years. Adrian [Grenier] and I, in recent time, have hung out a lot because we do a lot of philanthropic and environmental work together. I always feel connected to them. It's really not an onscreen thing. Months can go by because we're all busy and doing stuff, but we're connected.

Have you guys all gone to a crazy Hollywood party together?

Yes.

And what is it like when the actors from Entourage roll into a Hollywood party?

It's really fun. In particular, I've been at parties where there was Kevin, Jerry, Doug [Ellin], and myself. This is excluding Doug's birthday parties. I'm talking random Halloween parties or whatever. At least all four of us would be at that place. It's hilarious. And even in that situation it still feels like home base.

Is the show's representation of those kinds of parties accurate?

The bikini-clad blah blah blah? I don't go to those, but I'm sure at some of those parties in Malibu. It's nowhere I hang out. But yeah, I'd be pretty certain it's not far off. I just don't think I would be attracted to go to a party like that. That's not my jam. Maybe when I was 25. Maybe. But not really.

I'd imagine some Esquire readers would be stoked to go in your place.

They can!

What's the craziest party you have actually attended?

I would have to say definitely the Madonna afterparty after the Oscars. That shit is intense. It gets going at 1 a.m. And there's no press so the room is astonishing. It's like "Oh my God!" everywhere you look. It's totally surreal.

Did you ever get starstruck by a celebrity cameo on the show?

On the seventh season I had my "holy shit" moment. In the same scene we had LeBron James and Matt Damon. We were crisscrossing in the scene so they were there all day. And in fact I got them to do a video for my nephew's bar mitzvah. They did a shoutout and I was the coolest aunt ever. I'll never be able to top that. Those days are over.

As one of Entourage's few female characters, how do you feel about the way it portrays women?

Have no illusions: The show is what it is and what it has always been, which is the guys. It was the male version of Sex and the City. And Sloan was like the Mr. Big character, coming and going. I'm so grateful that I could be a part of it. And I don't think it's a slight to the show. It's just the nature of the beast. It was a perspective from a guy's point of view. You could have done a thousand different storylines with the women. You could have done a spinoff with Sloan and the girls of Entourage if you really wanted to. But it was never that and it was never intended to be. Certainly when the show was over, in my next series, I wanted to get to sink my teeth into things a little more. But that doesn't negate how cool the experience was.

What was the first thing you did when the series ended?

The first TV gig I did was The Mentalist, which was incredible and such a departure from what I'd been playing. On a personal note, what's been cool is Entourage was something that really helped put my name on the map. It was enough for people to see, "Oh, she's got presence. I like her." My career now is in a place that I feel so grateful for. Where I can say, "Wow, I'm on a television show that I'm passionate about and I love my character and I love the scripts." To have done some work that's getting critical acclaim and accolades is very exciting. And then to be part of this all at the same time. Life is good.

So what's the main career goal right now?

I'm wrapping my show Murder in the First, which is on TNT and is with Taye Diggs. And then I'm producing a couple of things. Really cool, grittier indies. And I have some indie films coming out. I'm always excited to see what happens.

This movie leaves it open for an Entourage sequel, yes?

I think so. You could keep going, easily. People love watching these guys. They can't get enough. It's a comedy. You forget and when you see them again you fall in love with them all over again, like "I missed that!" It was a cool time, too. It would be 12 years ago now that we filmed the first season. TV was in a different place and we were this edgy pioneer kid in the comedy world. This single-cam half-hour show that looked dope as hell, fully cinematic, on HBO. It kind of set the tone for a lot of stuff to follow.

And it made people feel like they were living these glamorous LA lives by association.

People want that! They dream about that. Doug always says it's wish fulfillment. That is a real thing. The media has exploded in ways I can't totally wrap my head around, but if you think about social media and magazines and the fascination with Hollywood and glamour and fame and scandal—that's what people want. "What did they eat for lunch?" "Look, the stars go grocery stopping, too!" Like they're aliens. It's so wild to me. But people love celebrities.

Wait, you're telling me you go grocery shopping?

I do! I know, it's crazy.

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