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Griffin Matthews' Wicked Truths
56 Plays5 months ago
In this episode of Collective Connection, actor, activist, and storyteller Griffin Matthews dives deep into the power of self-discovery, authenticity, and inner work as tools to transform the collective. From his life-changing move to Madrid to his reflections on art, activism, and parenting, Griffin shares how embracing individuality fuels meaningful connections. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about why we should be celebrating others’ wins (with the likes of his friend Cynthia Erivo) redefining success, and creating a life that aligns with your true self.
Griffin's BIO:
Griffin Matthews is an American actor, writer, singer and director best known for his roles in television and theater. He gained widespread recognition for his recurring roles in TV shows like "Dear White People" and "The Flight Attendant", where he played Shane Evans, Emmy-award winning anthology series "Genius" where he plays Bayard Rustin, designer Luke Jacobson in "She-Hulk" Marvel and soon to be released series Youth season 5 as Teddy on netflix. In addition to acting, Matthews is also an accomplished playwright and activist.He co-created the semi-autobiographical musical "Witness Uganda" (later retitled "Invisible Thread"). Beyond his creative work, Matthews is a dad to two beautiful souls, openly gay and an advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, often using his platform to speak about inclusion and representation in the entertainment industry.
Chapters:
- A Thanksgiving Abroad: Embracing Change and New Cultures
- Art Meets Activism: Navigating Responsibility Over Pressure
- The Power of Inner Work in Building a Stronger Collective
- Fashioning Freedom: Clothes That Speak Your Soul
- Journaling, Spirituality, and the Search for Miracles
- Why We Should Celebrate Each Other’s Wins
- The Women Who Taught Me to Love More
- Raising Adventurers: Parenting with Authenticity and Freedom
- Living Authentically: How Letting Go of Control Creates Space for Miracles
- We Are All the Same: A Call for Compassion and Unity
Links & Resources:
- Griffin on instagram
- The Artist's way by Julia Cameron
- Corentin Christian on instagram
- Corentin Christian's website
- Wicked, The Movie
- Wicked Soundtrack
- Griffin's IMDb
Reach out on Instagram, LinkedIN or email hello@corentinchristian.com - Copyright 2024 Corentin Christian
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Transcript
Introduction to Collective Connection
00:00:01
Speaker
Hi everyone, I'm Corentin Christian your host for Collective Connection. Collective Connection is a meeting of minds where fashion meets the arts at large and where multidisciplinary artists and entrepreneurs connect to create a more meaningful world with every beat of their collective heart. Wherever you are listening from, please write, comment and share as it enables us to spread our collective endeavors far and wide.
Featuring Griffin Matthews
00:00:30
Speaker
Today, on Collective Connection, we are diving into the life and mind of someone who has made a career out of asking the hard questions about identity, about privilege, and about purpose. Griffin Matthews isn't just an actor you've seen on Marvel, She-Hulk portraying fashion designer Luke Jacobson, The Flat Attendant or Dear White People, Emmy Award-winning anthology series Genius, and soon-to-be-released series Youth Season 5 as Teddy.
Griffin's Journey and Activism
00:01:00
Speaker
He's also a storyteller who has taken his own journey from Pittsburgh, pensive Pennsylvania, where he was born, volunteering in Uganda to Broadway, breaking barriers with his groundbreaking musical, Witness Uganda, lately retitled Invisible Thread. But beyond the stage and screen is a fashion enthusiast who has been collaborating with iconic independent designer, Joshua Kane, a dad to two beautiful souls and someone who views entrepreneurship as a way of moving through life.
00:01:30
Speaker
But what happens when a person who's been an activist for others has to recon with their own personal truths? What fuels someone who challenges systems, exposes hypocrisy, and writes stories that change lives? In this conversation, we'll explore what drives Griffin, his identity, his relationships, and his ability to walk into the world as both artist and entrepreneur of his own life. So let's see what inspires a man who inspires so many, prepare for an honest,
00:02:00
Speaker
unpredictable and heart-opening conversation.
Embracing New Cultures
00:02:04
Speaker
Hello, Griffin. How are you doing? Nice. That was just so important. and that was My ego has now been boosted properly for Saturday morning, so thank you from Madrid. right well Yeah, well, let's start there. Ola Catale, how is your Spanish going? Oh, yo, aprendo. Yo, aprendo español es muy difficile.
00:02:29
Speaker
but me mo detail But I'm learning. I'm learning. It's it's a a day, day by day, poco a poco process. But have you been adapting to, because yeah, yeah for people who don't know, Griffin now lives in in Madrid, but have you been adapting to to the tapas, to the cuisine? Have you been You know, well, it just had to be that we just had a Thanksgiving here. It was my first Thanksgiving abroad. um And it was amazing. I actually had read an article talking about immigrants and those who soar as immigrants are normally people who don't try to replicate their lives back in their home countries, but they
00:03:22
Speaker
try to fold into life in their new country. And so for this Thanksgiving, rather than make a turkey and stuffing and sweet potatoes and macaroni and cheese, we had a Spanish Thanksgiving that was prepared by a Venezuelan woman. And she made arepas and arroz con pollo, which is rice and chicken and eggs and turkey. And we had ourselves a very Spanish style. We had a bunch of Spanish tapas.
00:03:50
Speaker
um It was really great. It was really great. and And I think it helped me to not miss America. It felt like something new. And so I'm trying to really adjust to being an immigrant. But then saying that,
00:04:08
Speaker
Also, I've seen them on your socials.
Balancing Entertainment and Activism
00:04:10
Speaker
and you know you And that's what I just said before. You're not you know only one thing. and And I think in this D&H, we like to put people into boxes. But you do have a voice. And and and we'll we'll go um we'll talk about that later. But has your view on immigration changed since you literally migrated to Madrid? And maybe for listeners, that would be interesting to know.
00:04:35
Speaker
um why you moved and and yet how has this experience changed your view on that.
Life in Madrid and Personal Growth
00:04:44
Speaker
Well, first of all, i I had a revelation, I think, a couple years ago. And the revelation was life is short. It is going by quickly. I think that anybody who has children, you can see life go by in a different way because you're literally watching your children grow up. And so you feel time in a different way.
00:05:09
Speaker
And so the revelation for me was anything that I've ever wanted to do, I better do it. And so moving abroad was always on the bucket list. And as America has been undergoing an extraordinary amount of change,
00:05:29
Speaker
and our industry the entertainment industry has been undergoing an extraordinary amount of change i thought i can stay here and fight the change i can try to work on the change or i can work on myself and i can be the change and so I packed up my life, my family, my dog, and I immigrated to Madrid because I wanted something safer for my kids. I wanted to feel liberated from my industry. um And I wanted to try something new. Honestly, I i speak one language and I thought, well, now's the time. If you ever want to become a bilingual person, it's right now.
00:06:09
Speaker
and so i just thought like there's a bunch of things that i want to do i want to see europe i want to see the world i want to see what i'm capable of and so i picked up and i and i moved to madrid in august and so far i have been deeply enjoying the journey. Of course, I have days where I'm like, what am I doing? um i mean that is that Honestly, that that probably happens once a day where I literally have a moment of what is my life. like I walk around and I don't recognize anything and I hear people talking. and Most of my day in Madrid is, but i go to go go to go go but go go go to go to go you know it's like in a tunnel of noise.
00:06:51
Speaker
and um And so that can be difficult sometimes, but also that can be liberating because when you don't understand what everyone is saying around you, you really get a chance to listen to your inner thoughts. And so I'm doing a lot of journaling and listening to my inner thoughts and checking in with myself and I'm really happy here and I'm really happy to be out of America.
00:07:14
Speaker
i can I can only imagine and relate. But what you just said, that because there is so much noise around you that you can't, for now, completely understand. It helps you listen to your to your thoughts and to your inner voice a bit more, which is very interesting and I think very necessary in in our
Art, Activism, and Authenticity
00:07:38
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world right now. Because you also said um that, you know,
00:07:44
Speaker
you're taking your your life in your own hands and not waiting for something to happen. And I think that's also maybe a message to to our audience. I really felt in maybe in the past four years that gradually was increasing, that our democracy, our governments, our world, you know, that very um patriarchal way of governing the the citizens were always waiting for ah for you know for our governments and things to to change things but I think now we're entering an era where I think people really realize the power they have and that's why also I wanted to create that podcast the collective connection because the power of the collective is going to be instrumental for
00:08:27
Speaker
the next, the next, who knows, 100 years um for humanity, because this is when we rise. and And maybe here's my first question to you, you know, about identity and activism and what it means to you. You know, your work, and when we talked about that before, your work really often blurs the lines between, you know, art and activism. And I wanted to ask you, how do you navigate the pressure of being both an entertainer and a voice for change? And do you feel Do you ever feel one part of that identity overshadowing the other? I don't think I ever feel pressure hurt because
00:09:10
Speaker
It's a part of who I am. So I don't feel pressured by outside forces to be an activist and an artist. I feel none of that pressure. um Maybe what I do feel is a responsibility. And that's maybe different than pressure. Pressure seems like it has to be something that is performative. And responsibility seems like it's something that is being true to yourself and so the responsibility that I feel to myself is that I want to tell stories about people that are marginalized or people that I've met that I think are really interesting that maybe haven't had their their day in the sun and so
00:09:55
Speaker
that That is the responsibility that I feel. And also what I've learned over the many years of my life and career is that I always feel like I'm in the zone when I'm telling the truth. Anytime I'm not telling the truth or I'm trying to be a version of something that I saw on TV, then it's a mess. But if I step onto any set or stage or sit down to write a piece,
00:10:21
Speaker
and I'm in my truth it resonates not just for me but I think for the audience so I really I think it's interesting he talked about the collective and I'm a big believer in the collective but I'm recently I'm a bigger believer in the individual and I mean that to say I don't think the collective can do anything if we have not explored ourselves individually so that we can bring our best selves to the collective because I think right now our world has gone up and down and up and down and it's been very collective and then it went into every man for himself and I feel like we're in the zone of every man for himself
00:11:06
Speaker
and what you're talking about. And I think it's actually very true. I follow astrology. I am that guy. But there's a lot of talk about we're entering a season of the collective revolution. And I really love that. And because I think we're entering that season of activism and revolution, I felt it was my responsibility to get myself under control so that when I rejoined the collective, not that I ever left, but when I really rejoined,
00:11:36
Speaker
that I am rejoining in the best version of myself so that I can help to move the collective with love and rage and responsibility and insight.
Exploring Spirituality and Self-Discovery
00:11:49
Speaker
um I want to move it that way. I don't want to move the collective with my ego. That's useless.
00:11:54
Speaker
and sign so anyways yeah That's part of what I think the activism in artists and the journey is for me is to really try to heal myself so that I can bring a stronger, clearer, kinder voice to the collective. I love what you just said, because that's such a good point that you made, and one that most people actually miss. um When we talk about the collective, this is what you said. you know I use the word pressure, which is external, rather than liability, responsibility, that's very much inward um and from and and then outward.
00:12:31
Speaker
um You know, there there was a book and that comes to my mind right now, which is The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. I don't know if you know about that book, yeah wow which which is fantastic because she really talks about the spiritual path to a higher creativity. But in that book,
00:12:51
Speaker
She said that every one of us is a creator. And when we strip our ego, this is when we can really show up for others. So what you just said really exemplifies what she said in her book. And I also feel what um how you feel. It's very much about we cannot live in this world if we don't show up for ourselves anymore. um Meaning that the ego has to be really stripped away from from from us. Obviously a bit of ego doesn't hurt, but not it it cannot fuel our actions. And once you're able to be your authentic self, which I'm also trying to do by you know doing the podcast and doing other things and not boxing myself into one one corner of creativity, only then can I shop for others um in a more meaningful way. And sometimes we're led to you know to be to believe that
00:13:46
Speaker
You know, you you I was also like raising in a family where you have to work hard and you have to think about others and I was not taught that it was okay to love yourself, to take some time for yourself, to reflect about yourself so you can... it's not gonna diminish or or make your contribution to the world um less important but in fact more important. So what you just said really exemplified that and and I love you for that. So, you know, doing the work is super important, and but the collective can only be as strong as we are individually. Absolutely. Agree. Absolutely. um But then where does that come from? That um that responsibility that you feel towards others? or Like, was was it instilled by your family? Was it instilled? um Where does that come from? I'd love to know that.
00:14:38
Speaker
It's a really good question. I mean, I think part of it is my personality and part of it is my family and part of it is growing up in a religious family. My parents are Christian. I was raised very Christian and Christianity is When it's in its best form, it's about the collective. It's about volunteering. It's about extending your your hand to other people. And so that's the best form of Christianity. And so that I tried to hold on to as I got older and started to understand the world and travel more. I tried to hold on to the values of Christianity.
00:15:20
Speaker
And then the parts of Christianity that I didn't like, parts of the church that I didn't like, I let those go. And so there was years when I was like, okay, I'm a Christian. And I was very, very motivated to help others to find their Christian values.
00:15:38
Speaker
And then I went through a period when I was like, I don't want anything to do with the church, certainly coming out as gay and wanting to try to liberate myself to live the life that I wanted to live and really the life that I thought I was supposed to be living. I like completely wanted nothing to do with the church.
00:15:54
Speaker
And as I've gotten older, I have been able to find the sweet spot. And I think the sweet spot is taking the parts of the religion that I enjoy and that feel like the right values and all the other nonsense that that men have placed onto it, ideas that people have placed onto it. I let those go.
00:16:16
Speaker
And so I think that probably was the the impetus for for caring about the collective. But I mean, I think that the best thing we can do as humans and certainly as adults is try to evolve it. So now I have two kids and I'm like, I'm cool with my kids being Buddhist, Muslim, Jewish, Christian, whatever they they want to be is what I'm interested in.
00:16:40
Speaker
And so anyways, I think that there's there's my my mind has been open to the ideas that surround all different kinds of religions.
00:16:52
Speaker
but talking about religion because you see you were, as you said, you know, um that you were like deeply Christians starting starting off. And I've always had on my on my side been very much against it and I didn't want to to go to church yet. I was drawn to churches and and and and later on I developed my own kind of religion, right? um um So my question would be what, because you talked about um astrology and spiritual as spirituality, what is Do you have a spiritual practice you said a you like you journal or yeah, what is your what is your
00:17:30
Speaker
spiritual practice your religion because i do think right now as well as people are reflecting on themselves i mean for the ones who are doing the inner work and thank you to them because we need them um i think there's a kind of new religion um that is uh being given birth and that religion starts within so what's your what what are your practices what are Who is that, you know, what is Griffin doing to stay connected and what is your, what is your sacred temple? Yeah, I think my, my version of spiritual practice is I do a lot of journaling. Um, I had a friend when I sort of went through a midlife crisis, my friend was just like, journal, just journal and journal and don't read the entries.
00:18:22
Speaker
free think, free write, and just go. And I did it pretty religiously for a solid year. And I've actually never read most of the entries. He said to me, go back every once in a while if you need to like pull something up and see what you wrote, see who you were then. um But I've pretty much have never read the entries. But what I do realize that happens is when I'm free writing, it's surprising what I start to write about Things that I, if I sit down and I really try to, live you know, when when when you write a script, you really get calculated about the writing because there's a formula to a script. There's a formula to writing a play, a movie. There's there's formulas to it. But when you're journaling and you're free writing, there is no formula. So you can be shocked at what starts to come up. And so I think emptying all of that mental garbage onto a page day in and day out is helpful to just get yourself clean.
00:19:22
Speaker
and helpful to just release the garbage. Think about it when people are just walking around with garbage, things that are not true about themselves, narratives like that they've created about other people, about themselves. um I was very much and still very much am that guy. I have a whole lot of stories that I create about other people, about myself, and I find that journaling helps me to put those stories down for the day.
00:19:47
Speaker
and try to pick up whatever life wants to offer me that day. So um so that's the first thing that I think journaling has really, really helped me. um I also kind of make it a practice, I think almost every day. i'm trying to I'm trying to think of if there really is a day that goes by, but I read a lot of quotes.
00:20:06
Speaker
I just think inspirational quotes as a spiritual practice is great for me because there is so much noise in the world and there is so much negativity that I literally need to my instagram if you go to my explorer page it's just a bunch of quotes it's a bunch of quotes and a bunch of ideas about relationships and life.
00:20:25
Speaker
Like some people, my homepage used to be just a bunch of like muscly guys. And then when I went, I mean, of course, you' moved it's like it tells you what you're looking at all day long. And then now if you open my explore page, it's a bunch of quotes. And I think it's because I realized that if if i'm mix If I'm looking at a bunch of muscly guys all day, I'll always feel like I'm not enough. But if I look at a bunch of quotes all day that are telling me how to take a breath, how to love my neighbor, how to love myself, how to deepen my truths, then that is what will spill out of me. Whatever you are feeding yourself is what will come out. And so I stopped feeding myself with all of the noise and I really tried to feed myself with
00:21:11
Speaker
daily inspirational quotes and ideas. And then the other thing that I will say too is, I mean, if we're being honest, I did ah i did a um a psilocybin retreat about two years ago. And a psilocybin retreat, for those who don't know, it's mushrooms, but it's based on an indigenous practice. So rather than taking like a little bite of a mushroom that you might do, like micro dosing, it is a major dose. They make a mushroom tea and you basically spend like six hours laying flat on your back with your eyes closed. They they give you these blindfolds that are called mindfolds. You can open your eyes inside, but it's a very internal experience. But anyways, I did this retreat. It was a three-day retreat, and it changed my life, the things that I saw, the things that I experienced, the downloads that I got about myself and about the planet and about humanity. It really, really changed my life, and it's based in indigenous practices.
00:22:10
Speaker
And so they say you can take one journey and it will take a lifetime to unpack. And for me, it has been so true. So that I just say that because I think it's important to to consider that there's lots of different ways to get to your spiritual practice or to even get to know yourself better. For me, that was one way that absolutely changed my life and my perspective.
00:22:37
Speaker
I love that because also this is, that I love what you just said. There's no, because also like, you know, it got so marketed, like that spiritual spirituality industry right now is also super marketed and it's becoming also such a, I'm telling you what's the truth and this is how you're going to discover yourself. And what you just described is also like um quite,
00:22:59
Speaker
fantastic, because there's no one way to to discover yourself and you yourself. And also, I don't like to say the better the the better better version of yourself. There's no better version. There's just a higher version because we think about this as energy and there's no better energy than than another. So and you talk about quotes and referring to your feed, I used to, it's very funny because maybe because we both Capricorns, I used to to have that feed and feed myself like you know with like those images and think you know I'm not mostly enough and I'm not i'm not that typical um
00:23:38
Speaker
box in the in the gay scene and I would not recognize myself and then then also I started just following quotes and inspiring podcasts and every day I have I do practice gratitude because gratitude is what really changes lack into into enough and you know and and maybe I want to ask you I don't know if you have your phone with you but what is the latest you know, kind of a ha quote you've read, and maybe whilst you whilst you're searching for one. um I love that one that I just discovered recently that says, life didn't give you a dream that matches your bank account, but a dream that matches the faith and self belief you have to achieve it. Well, I love that. I think it's so true. It is so true.
00:24:30
Speaker
Yeah, I have a quote ah that is like the, you know, in your folders on your phone, your you can like make ah the profile picture on on your folders.
Letting Go and Recognizing Miracles
00:24:43
Speaker
And the profile picture on my folders of quotes is God can do it.
00:24:50
Speaker
And I love that quote because certainly for a Capricorn, you know, there's a control and most people like control. Most people like control. Control helps us to feel safe, which is why we want to control things. And so I love the simple idea, God can do it.
00:25:09
Speaker
And for me, it helps me to remember that I am not in control of anything. I'm just not in control. I can i can do my day. I can do my work. But at the end of the day, life is life-ing. The globe is spinning.
00:25:28
Speaker
And I like to think about nature. i want I read a lot of quotes about nature because it's just sort of like the birds are not worried about where they're going to get their food. They just wake up and they do it. They're just in there their natural zone. And I tried to go like, let me try to be a bird. By the way, I used to have chickens. I was a chicken farmer.
00:25:48
Speaker
when the chickens are the chickens are just they're out there clucking away they're not thinking about where the food comes or if this is their last day on earth they're just They're just in nature. And so I try to really, when I start to spin out about my control, I say to myself, Griffin, God can do it. There are things that that I want to stop controlling. um Again, not to say that I want to be a lazy guy, but it's I want to do my work and then just believe that whatever is supposed to rise will rise. Whoever I'm supposed to meet, I'll meet. It is, especially being in Hollywood,
00:26:27
Speaker
There's always like this grabby energy. You go to a party, you go to an event, and everyone wants to go, get me into that event. and I got to shake that hand. and What I've learned in my career is that anybody I was supposed to meet, I met them. Anyone I wasn't supposed to meet, I didn't meet them.
00:26:47
Speaker
And so I can go to events and I don't care if Beyonce's in the corner. If I'm supposed to meet Beyonce, that will happen. By the way, there were people I did events where there were people um that I wanted to meet but didn't get a chance to meet them and then I ended up being on a television show with them is starring next to them. And that's the way life will do it. I could have read up to them and said, hi, I'm Griffin, I'm an actor, I'd love to work together. but It wasn't the right thing. It wasn't the right moment. I wanted to go, God can do it. And so I find myself on sets with people all the time. And I'm like, I never imagined that that we would get to work together. And I'm so glad that our paths crossed right now, because right now we are ready to meet. 10 years ago, I don't know if I was ready to meet you. And maybe you weren't ready to meet me. So that's why I like to just, you know,
00:27:41
Speaker
let things be bigger than me. And I've been really like journaling a lot about miracles. and like It's been my latest obsession. I'm obsessed with the idea of miracles. But we're all miracles, you know, and that's part of my gratitude and my affirmations that I do every day. I just like, i it's not about just saying those things, it's about believing and feeling them. It's just The fact we are, as you just said, on this earth, like spinning in the the universe and and and all of that, we are miracles. So I do believe you are a miracle. I am a miracle. and But go go go ahead with that. No, it's just it's that. It's the idea that like part of dropping control is I didn't want to think you know all of us have narcissistic tendencies as certainly artists.
00:28:34
Speaker
and um oh yeah And thinking that we controlled this, we made this happen. And I decided that I wanted to experience miracles, meaning I wanted to be able to look around at life and go, holy shit, that is a miracle. Like I never thought I could really be there or do that or meet that person or experience that kind of love.
00:29:01
Speaker
You know, so I, as you said, we're all miracles, but I think you don't see the miracles if you keep thinking that you made them all. Exactly. This is what you just said and and that ties with what you said before. It's leaving the go on the side. That's it. When you let go of control, you let in and when you let in,
00:29:21
Speaker
you let life happens but also as you say that you can't just be like a lazy a lazy person and let and literally like sit you know sit on your sofa and and and think things are gonna work but you become by letting go and letting in you become that co-creator with the universe god great spirit whatever you want to call it and And that's quite timely that we have that conversation now because when we met, which was a year ago, I was also in that space of I got to do a New York Fashion Week, I got to get into magazine, got me in trouble because I paid for
00:29:57
Speaker
you know you've been part of it you know ah the story but um i wanted to pay for magazine to to have an editorial and i wanted to force and i was told that i had to knock on the doors and smash them but i was not allowing um the universe to guide me or just to follow the signs that i was being given and i was just like trying to control everything and i was just trying to.
00:30:21
Speaker
to meet the people that was not meant to meet at this at the at the right time, as you said. so And I think that since we since we first met, I mean, the amount of self-reflection and growth that I'm just hearing from you is a testament to to the person um and the soul you are. Because even though you know we have not been knowing each other for a very long time, I really felt connected to you the moment we met. um I was very, to be very true and honest, I was very like confused at at that moment and I was like, I'm i'm not sure, but this was also like a divine timing that we met, that things worked and we made like some photos and with Agnes. um But every day we're worrying your brain and to just believe that miracles are happening every day and that you are part of it is a game changer.
00:31:16
Speaker
um Well, every artist, I think, has to go through a period of pushing every artist, even the ones who are super successful um you know by by men's standards, famous celebrities. I have a lot of celebrity friends, lots of money, lots of houses, lots of all those things.
00:31:38
Speaker
And I don't know a single one of them who has not been through hell and back. And I don't know a single one of them who has not struggled with pushing.
Divine Timing and Authentic Fashion
00:31:46
Speaker
And so it's totally know I think when we met,
00:31:50
Speaker
you were in ah a period of your life, as you said, that makes a lot of sense because you do fashion. And fashion sort of has been, um certainly commercial fashion has been founded on a lot of climbing, social climbing, getting the right person to wear the right thing at the right time, down the right runway. And it's very, very difficult to navigate.
00:32:16
Speaker
Mentally spiritually emotionally and so yeah we met and I think that there was some divine timing in that because I just happen to be in New York you were in New York and We I think had a ah connection based off of each other's artistry. And so it was the right time. And we stayed in touch. And ah you've been so gracious and with your generosity about clothes and also just generosity of time and and energy. But I also recognize that you are a talented guy. Like, it was very clear to me. And I think a lot of our conversations, I was like, you don't need to push.
00:32:58
Speaker
Your talent is so clear. it's not it Sometimes talent is not clear. With you, the talent was just so clear that I was like, oh, this guy doesn't need to push. He just needs to stay on his path and keep making beautiful clothes. And the right people are going to find them at the right time. And don't push. Some people who I don't think have all the talent, I'm like, you better push a little bit.
00:33:18
Speaker
you I was like, you don't need to push. Anyone who sees what you've made, it's very clear. and so yeah but i By the way, I think you echoed some of those same things to me about just like, your talent is clear. The energy is clear. and We all need that reminder. We all need it. Other people in our lives to come through our lives and remind us we are just okay.
00:33:44
Speaker
because the world can feel so unstable. Certainly for artists, it feels so unstable. And so it's always a gift, perhaps a miracle when you meet other people who can just remind you, you are okay, keep going.
00:33:58
Speaker
but thank you for what you just said. That was not that was not plan. I feel i feel very touched for but what you just said. and But as you just said, I think we just, we meet the people so that, I call the people that I meet my angels and you know every time I meditate, I try to do that every morning and every night and I have people in my head and you're part of them that I say thank you and I send rose petals too and I never said that but I love to send love to people without them knowing now you know um but I love I see everyone that comes into my life i as angels and I love to remind people of their power I don't see
00:34:43
Speaker
I don't see friendships or um connections as what can I get from that person, I'm just in in in the pure essence of of of loving and and to be to be seen and to see one another is the best gift we can um give to each other and you know if you move through life like that I think as you say, you don't have to push. um I mean, so far, you know, I've i've let go of of not pushing, but I trust, you know, there's a
00:35:17
Speaker
life is um divinely orchestrated and whatever it might not look as we want it to look um but it will be for the the highest good um of others as well. um But on that note and to move to to a different topic you know we talked about fashion right so Clearly, you know fashion has played a role in your life, both like personally and professionally, especially through your collaboration with um Joshua, Joshua Kane. So what does fashion mean to you, both as a form of um personal self-expression and as as an extension of your artistry, also like you know with the roles you've been playing? So can can you can you talk to me through that?
00:36:01
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think there's a photo of me when I was like three years old sitting on my mother's steps in Pittsburgh. And I'm wearing a Mr. Rogers T-shirt, oversized T-shirt with three belts on multiple beaded necklaces wrapped around me like a sash with elbow length winter gloves.
00:36:22
Speaker
And that was me at three years old and that was me in my purest form. And I spent most of my adulthood trying to get back to that little boy to go. He was so clear and he was so free about who he was and what he wanted to wear and what he wanted to show the world.
00:36:41
Speaker
And so, you know, my entire adulthood is just trying to get back to him. And so fashion somehow has become a big form of self-expression. I like to actually, I think maybe in my recent years of being ah becoming a dad, um I wear a lot of sweat clothes. I'm currently talking to you with a full sweatsuit on. And I like that there are two versions of me. There's a version of me. in sweats, which is damn near every day. And then there's a version of me in full designer wear that has either been gifted or that I've purchased or found at vintage shops. or So there is like two different versions and both of them are true. And I really, I think when I go in for auditions, I tend to have
00:37:33
Speaker
ah casting directors think that I'm pretty fashionable, so I end up playing a lot of roles on TV shows where fashion is some kind of an element in in that character's world. So I love that I get to do it on television because it's just fun for me.
00:37:49
Speaker
but Also, I think part of, again, how we met, I am a fan of fashion. It is actually something that I love because it looks like art to me. It's not just clothes. It looks like somebody sat down and, like, out of their brain decided to make that thing. And it's just stunning. And that's how I felt about some of your clothes. I was like,
00:38:11
Speaker
This is not fashion. This is art.
Fashion and Collaboration
00:38:14
Speaker
This is someone's self-expression, especially because you make clothes that are piece by piece, right? It's not like you've turned out 200 suits. You turned out like two or three. And I'm like, that is that is art at its highest level. And so my respect for fashion is also probably why I'm such a lover of it. So Joshua Kane is another fellow designer ah that I've worked with.
00:38:41
Speaker
He designed my suits for Marvel and the casting director cast me in Marvel and then the ah costume designer found Joshua's suits and decided that I was going to wear Joshua's suits for She-Hulk and I'd never met him. And so I went on to Instagram and I found his Instagram page and I DM'd him and said, I'm Griffin. I'm playing this character. I'm wearing your clothes. I think they're amazing.
00:39:05
Speaker
and then we just went back and forth and then he finally, he dressed me for several of the premieres for Flight Attendant and She-Hulk and we became great friends. He's such an incredible artist. And so anyways, I think that my my respect for what you guys do is so high and I feel so lucky that I get to even interact with you because it's you guys are making living wearable works of art so but that thank you for saying what you're saying but ah you know i there's there's one one point you just mentioned it's just not close and that little boy that you just described in in pittsburgh um i was that i was that boy you know in in in the north of france in the little city um that was very much you know such a
00:40:02
Speaker
I always wondered like what I was doing there and um even when I remember being five and just like thinking, you know, I would i would dress as Esmeralda from the Notre Dame de Paris, you know, and and i would and I would wear like whatever heels and and things and you just said you spend your adulthood in order to come back to that innocence because that little Griffin knew exactly what he was about. and And that's also like the journey I'm on. i'm yeah Every day I'm asking, am I honoring that little child that was in front of the mirror that was singing in the room with these like little cousins and asking them to put the the blue light, the red light and and making sure my my clothes were perfect and the right angle for the fan because like at that point
00:40:54
Speaker
At that point of selling your music, it had to go that way, you know? And I had it all figured out. i It was pure. and And I'm spending my life now, and I'm i'm sure that's what you also like said and relate to, to ah strip away the layers and the constructs and the societal norms and to come back to that, because this is where you you then show up much more authentically and then then fashion for me obviously is a catharsis it's i started by saying you know like you dress your emotions and that's why like you know in the in i love also what joshua kane does because he has carved a path of his own you know he's doing his own shows he has his own signature handwriting
00:41:42
Speaker
and it doesn't really care what others are doing. And I love that as well because in fashion there's so much competition as there is in all artistic endeavors. um But it doesn't have to be that way and to not feel threatened by by by other artist artists or designers or or actors because when you are fully aligned with yourselves, you know, you have the space, there's enough space for everyone if you're authentic. So have you ever felt in in um in the cinema industry in Hollywood has your your view of your work and how you're navigating through Hollywood change and your expectations of it and how you're moving through also because you ah you know when we started the podcast you mentioned you know like there's so much happening in Hollywood
00:42:37
Speaker
How do you see your work evolving? How do you see your internal ah dialogue and narrative and the way that you also move physically to Madrid? How is that informing your work and where do you want to go as an actor?
00:42:57
Speaker
Well, first of all, it's not a competition. And that has been such an important lesson for me. I spent a lot of my younger years in the audition circuit really competing with everybody and wanting, I care a lot about legacy and I want to be the first one to do this. And I've let all of that nonsense go. It is not helpful. It is not useful. It is not true.
00:43:25
Speaker
And instead I tried to really focus on becoming a fan. and helping the the idea of becoming a fan means you are a fan of somebody else, not ah of yourself, of somebody else. And so I am like a big, big fan girl. I like to fan out on my friends, on other actors and other creators. It's why we are friends because I approached you as a fan, not as
00:43:56
Speaker
competition. And it's such a healthy space. I think certainly for me, it's a healthy space because it lets me stay inspired by other people. I cannot be my own inspiration. What life is that? That's so boring. So I love going like, you know, you can't be Trump, you can't be Trump.
00:44:15
Speaker
Yeah, that's an example of someone like being one's fan, you know, so it's not the biggest fan. And it's so boring. and that' is It work. Who does it help? I don't know who it helps. Yeah. And so and it's just no fun. And so I love meeting people and being like, oh, my God, I saw your movie. It changed my life. I am so even if we're we're working side by side on a project, I will fan girl out. I will fan girl out in the moment after a take.
00:44:44
Speaker
I work with one of my favorite actresses to work with who's become a very good friend of mine, Kaylee Cuoco. She's from the Big Bang Theory and Flight Attendant. We would do takes of, you know, our scenes. And at the end of the take, I would be like, Kaylee, that was hilarious. You you are so good.
00:45:02
Speaker
I feel so honored that we get to do this together. And she'd be like, Griffin, you're amazing. And we just start fanning out on each other. I think you're watching Cynthia Rivo and Ariana Grande right now. They're in such a fangirl space of each other. And I think it's really, really beautiful because they could be in competition.
00:45:20
Speaker
But yet they're looking at each other like, I am so lucky that I get to share this space with you. It is such a better way to work. It is such a better way to get out your best work. When you stop the competition and start really looking at each other as artists and as humans and as friends, you really get to go, oh my God, I feel really, really, really lucky. When my friend Cynthia happens to be a friend of mine,
00:45:46
Speaker
um one like I went to see Wicked in London last weekend and I cried in the theater like a baby. And I wasn't just crying because I thought this the you know the story was beautiful, but I was crying for Cynthia, a fellow Capricorn. I was crying for that woman because I was like, this is her dreams coming true. And she actually did the work. It's on screen. I lost track of Cynthia, the Cynthia that I know. I saw the character. I was just watching a character, just an actress, like I'd never known this woman before.
00:46:23
Speaker
And it moved me because I was like, I know how hard that is when they yell action. I know how hard it is to be that vulnerable. There are so many people around. It is a multimillion dollar production. It is so easy to crumble under that kind of pressure. And what she did was she didn't crumble. She just opened. She just started telling the truth about her life. And it just moved me. And so anyways, I say that simply to say that When you move into a fan space, certainly in this industry, but really in every industry, you will find yourself inspired and in awe of the people that you
Celebrating Others and Gratitude
00:47:03
Speaker
are around. Your your friends, your colleagues become miracles in front of your face.
00:47:09
Speaker
I was just about to say that. it's just And what you describe is actually even beyond that. That is gratitude in motion because you're just so grateful for the people around you and moving into that space of cheering people up and just being there.
00:47:26
Speaker
the biggest fans just raises like the vibrations and and there's that quote you know like and alone we go faster and together we go further that I love and that really exemplifies again what you just said and yeah i I literally had goosebumps when you talked about Cynthia because you were so moved and happy for her. aye And there's no reason to just go like, oh, well, she didn't. And I wish I had. um But we we are entering that that moment. And I think more and more people are are feeling this way, are moving into those kind of vibrations. So um so I really love what you just said there. Well, also, I will add one other the thing, too, that um just to go along with the together we go further,
00:48:17
Speaker
When your friends are winning, it is also a win for you. Yeah. Because that's who you're, it's like birds of a feather, right? So the idea of birds of a feather, when you start looking around and you see your friends winning, it means you're also winning because you are around them. That is who's pouring into your life. When you get to experience somebody's win that's close to you,
00:48:42
Speaker
or in your orbit, that is the universe saying, and look at you, you are not different. These are the people that are pouring into your life. And so anyways, that I think that's why, that was part of why I was crying because I know part of what Cynthia has gone through in this business and personally, and I'm like, I got to look at her and go, she is winning, which means Griffin, you are also winning because now you are inspired. You are re-inspired to keep going.
00:49:12
Speaker
Yeah. Oh, amen to that. yeah There's a lot of, as you know Oprah would say, like aha moments to everything you just said. And you know what? I'm actually so honored to have that conversation with you. And I really want to say that to you because um you really inspire me and in in every sense
Impact of Women in Life and Industry
00:49:31
Speaker
of the world. And it's just like like a lame thing to say to you. You really do inspire me. you know The way you carry yourself the way you articulate um your feelings and also the, as I just said, in in in just a year, the amount of reflection of inner growth and the conversation we're having now, we would not have had that conversation a year ago, I guess. ah Absolutely not. um But then talking about woman, right? um I don't know about you, but
00:50:06
Speaker
It's always mostly women who have had really played such a vital role in shaping my story, uplifting me, and always being like the biggest cheerleaders and being there. Personally, I was never helped in any way by the gay community, which is a bit sad, but I want to be honest. But I want to ask you,
00:50:29
Speaker
you know Who are the women who have most influenced your life, being the biggest fan? And what are the lessons that you know that they have taught you? And um yeah, tell me about their influence and how maybe they have helped you navigate life. Yeah, well, I mean, I've been surrounded by a lot of women um who have been critical in my success as a person.
00:50:57
Speaker
But I'll give a a couple quick examples. First of all, my mother, I think she's pretty amazing. And we have had a journey of ups and downs to get to know each other. And also what happens is when you become a parent, you you start to understand your parent. You understand that your parent didn't know what they were doing. You understand that your parent was making it all up. You understand that your parent was just a person. You start to really have a lot more empathy towards your parent.
00:51:25
Speaker
my mother for sure has been a massive influence. And her mother, my grandmother, was the kindest, sweetest person. And i I was very, very close with her. She's basically my second parent. But one of the things that she said to me before she passed away in 2005,
00:51:45
Speaker
um We were having a kind of like a final conversation. She had cancer. And I said, oh if you could do something different in your life, what would you do differently? And she said, I would love more. And I got that tattooed to my chest. Love more. Over my heart.
00:52:03
Speaker
And that was just such a great parting lesson that she gave to me to focus on loving more and judging less. um So certainly my grandmother. And then I've been and so lucky in my career to work with incredible women. I've worked with Kaylee Cuoco, Issa Rae, Reese Witherspoon, the producers of The Flight Attendant, season one or two women who when I had, during the the pandemic, flight attendant was shooting in the middle of the pandemic. We got stopped and I had my second child and I got a call the very next day saying I needed to be back in New York City to shoot the rest of the first season. And I was like, oh my God, I just had a baby like yesterday. And because my children were born out of the foster care system, it's not like I knew I was gonna have a baby. We got a call from the social worker and we got Apollo.
00:53:00
Speaker
and i was so worried because that was the the height of the pandemic and you had to like be in new york city for two weeks to quarantine and you couldn't go back and apollo was only a couple of days old and i was so nervous about having to explain that i just had a baby and we don't have paternal leave in the states that doesn't exist So anyways, i I write to them and I say, oh my god, I had a baby. And so maybe we can put the baby in a van and drive across the country and quarantine from the van. And you know we were just trying to figure out what to do. And the producers, the flight attendant, um they said to me, we're going to write you out of the episode because you just had a baby and you can't you can't travel. And we're going to write you out of the episode and we're going to pay you for the episode.
00:53:45
Speaker
And I was like, that is why when people during the Me Too movement were talking about having women in high places, that is the difference. When women are at the top, they can see a different humanity because both of our showrunners at that point, both of them had children. And they were like, we know what you're going through Griffin. We're going to write you on the episode and pay you and not make you feel bad about having a baby.
00:54:08
Speaker
And so that was just such a tangible lesson for why women are just the backbone of society um and deserve the highest amount of respect and praise. And also why men need to step down, sit down, move to the side and let some women lead. The world has been run by a bunch of men for way too long. I'm so much more curious about what the world looks like if women are running it. but That's a whole different conversation. But yeah, those those are those are the examples of women that have really inspired me and and made me feel seen in a different way. they've let They've let me be more vulnerable. Women always, they're just ready for vulnerability in a way that I think most men are not.
00:54:55
Speaker
they are and you know about women leading in the society. I don't know if you know about the myth that I don't think is a myth and maybe that's far-fetched but let me try. um um You know Lemuria you know that it's like at Atlantis you know it's like an ancient um and ancient civilization and they they used to say in the Lemuria that was a very small continent where Actually the women were in charge and and the men knew how to step ah aside and knew that what they had to do was they had to do and the women were just there to do their magic and and I do believe that
00:55:37
Speaker
the more women um in in in those places, in higher roles, will absolutely reshape um the world we live in. And how instrumentals they've they've been in our lives, and then especially for artists, um you know, it's like when you when when you think about fashion, you mostly have male fashion designers, but behind them you have what they call like, and that's what I say in my latest podcast, like Le Petit Monde, the small hands, how also interesting the vocabulary that is used, but we never see those, those women. And team and there's such a huge French lady that was, um that was a designer Colette Maciej and she she she was behind, you know, like Givenchy, Saint Laurent and Chanel and in the making of those huge houses, but her story has been,
00:56:26
Speaker
I have not been told. And thank God there's a book that is written about that. It's called Haute Couture, Collette Mercier. And um so we need more, more women, more love. But you talked about legacy as well. And you said, you know, stripped away from those very patriarchal ideas of like, I want to have that
Lessons for the Next Generation
00:56:46
Speaker
legacy. i want But talking about your children, what do you hope for them? What is What do you want to live them? um Not just for your work, but for your life. At the end of the day, you know what would what do you want those two beautiful souls to be, to remember about you, to to know that you have taught them things that they can um navigate through life with? And what are the things you want to impart?
00:57:25
Speaker
Well, I think with the recent move to Madrid, to a new culture and a new language, I've really been focusing on adventure. I want them to grow up feeling like they're on an adventure.
00:57:43
Speaker
yeah and that they are not afraid to do adventures, they're not afraid to pick up and go, they're not afraid to learn new language, to start over, to reinvent, to be themselves. um I have two little boys and I am both me and their their other dad i think we're we're really trying to raise them to be the best version of themselves the most authentic version of themselves we let them paint their nails we let them wear their costumes on the streets whenever they want to we let them do pretty much
00:58:17
Speaker
whatever version of their self-expression within reason, right? Like parenting is so intense. But within reason to really go like, one of the things about having kids is you get to heal the parts of your childhood that you didn't like, that you wish your parents had done something different. You get to do that with your kids. And so I always tell the boys they're in the circus. So if we got to pick up and move, we pick up and move. We got to go. Yeah. You know, we got to go.
00:58:43
Speaker
But I really want them to see their their dads chasing their dreams and their their aspirations. I want them to see us win. I want them to see us fail. I want them to see us on an adventure so that they feel the permission to be all of the things, that they can they can win and fail and rise and mess up and fix it. and like I want them to be back.
00:59:11
Speaker
Because I didn't feel that. I felt like I had to succeed. um I think their other father, Matt, I think he felt like he had to succeed. And now I'm just questioning what success even looks like. I mean, what does that even mean, succeed? Who cares about legacy? Everyone's like, I want to be remembered for. In 100 years, no one's going to remember who any of us were. So you better just get on with the business of your life.
00:59:35
Speaker
and living it to the fullest and creating a space for your kids to have a chance to live their lives to the fullest. And so I've learned how to be happy in tiny apartments, studio apartments. I've learned how to be happy in massive mansions. I've learned how to be happy with nothing. I've learned how to be happy with everything. So I think it's sort of just like, you know, try to make all of that secondary the most important thing being be on the adventure of your life, not on somebody else's life,
01:00:04
Speaker
That's the danger of social media. You're just looking at everybody else's life all day long. Be on the adventure of your life. Yes. And also on that, not allowing others to write your own story. Yeah. Well, because um that's also a massive thing about that. I love the adventurous part of it, but I think um there's one thing i I would add to that is i've i've used I've been used to allowing others to write my story. And and I just feel now that I'm just starting to to own my story because I've been letting go and I've been letting go of what success means.
Owning Your Story and Legacy
01:00:42
Speaker
And I don't let success being defined by others. I define my success and my success is to still be here regardless and of what I've been going through. um And
01:00:56
Speaker
And you know what have been what I know about my light you know was taught to me about my darkness. And that's to me success. been say And um so yeah.
01:01:12
Speaker
One last thing maybe I want to touch on before I let you go in your um madrelin we a madrid adventure your Madrid adventures. but
01:01:26
Speaker
between you know the bit like playful and quirky, let's try. you know you know If your life were a fashion show with every stage of your journey represented by an outfit, what would be the finale look like? Why? What would be that outfit?
01:01:48
Speaker
Something with feathers, a lot of feathers. Oh, yes. I i mean, feathers are incredible um sourced sustainably. But, you know, I think there's something I was just in the pet shop yesterday in in Madrid with there's it's actually ah a plant shop, but at the bottom floor, there's all these exotic birds. And of course, there's complications around these exotic birds, but that's another podcast but i was looking at these parakeets and they were like yellow and blue and green apollo my four-year-old loves to say verte they were there and i was just like
01:02:29
Speaker
this is magical the colors of these birds are magical and they're flying around these little tiny cages and um and they're making so much noise and i just thought to myself like even though they're in a cage which again is complicated they're still singing Maya Angelou has this book called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, like they're going to say yeah which I love. I love this book. They're still fluttering. They're still singing. They're still gorgeous. The colors were gorgeous. And I watched them and I just i couldn't stop watching them. um
01:03:06
Speaker
But I think there's something magical about birds and flying and and soaring. So my final runway look would be covered in feathers, soaring. I hope that at the end of my life, whenever that comes, I hope that I feel like I'm as colorful as I've ever been, that I'm as free as I've ever been, that I'm out of the cage and soaring and singing with heels.
01:03:36
Speaker
i all ill I was just feeling imagining you ah doing that and and and and and I'm sure you will keep on doing all of those and you know there's we talked about quotes and affirmations and spirituality and and and resilience and all of that and but also you know talking about children also like your children, but also are in a child. And there's that kind of, those sentences maybe I want to close with, which I say, you know, I fearlessly so through life. I am in the constant flow of adventure, joy, and laughter. Magic is all around me.
01:04:17
Speaker
I trust in the universe, God, the great spirit, whatever you want to call it. I'm liberated being supported by the universe a and I'm always shooting for and with the stars. And that kind of sums up what you just said here. um On top of that, you know, feeling grateful for everything but the bird has such a real importance significant also to me in terms of I also i always feel in a constant um way of rebirth like a fe like a phoenix I always see like eagles in phoenix and like
Message of Unity and Authentic Living
01:04:55
Speaker
it just seems that maybe it's a Capricorn thing but you just feel like you just you know go go back to ashes and just like rebirth all the time and
01:05:04
Speaker
It's funny you talked about the birds and the feather as an outfit because I would choose that. I would absolutely choose that. um let meet My last question for you would be, if you have if you had a huge mic and that the whole of humanity could just listen, it might not mean like though it will change their minds, but they might just think about it. What would you say to humanity right now?
01:05:34
Speaker
We are the same. Everywhere I have been, all over the world, I've traveled. I've been really fortunate to travel quite a bit, and I am always amazed. Of course, everybody's different, but we are the same. People are doing the same thing all over the world, and I think that if we could really just pause, right, talking about the collective, going back to our initial conversation about the collective, I think what happens is
01:06:05
Speaker
We forget that those are people over there on the other side of the world. We think you can just drop bombs on people. I'm like, you know, those people are doing the same thing that you're doing in l LA or that you're doing in Paris or that you're doing in Madrid. Those people are doing the same. They're getting up in the morning. They're taking their showers. They're getting their kids ready for school. They're looking for work. They're making breakfast. They're looking for food. They're doing the same thing that you're doing.
01:06:32
Speaker
It looks a little different. They're speaking different languages. They might have different skin colors, but they are doing the same thing. And I think it is so important for for me to remember that when I look around the world, even though sometimes my world here in Madrid is, but i' go to go go to what go go go and I don't know what they're saying, but I know what they're saying. They're saying the same thing that I'm saying when I'm in LA.
01:06:57
Speaker
And they're feeling the same. They're feeling the same things. As humanly as you are. Yeah. So i'm i'm I think if I could grab a mic and shake humanity, it's to say we are the same. People are incredible. And by the way, 95% of people, I really think, are just great people. Like 95%. Yeah. Every time I meet people, I'm like, you're great.
01:07:25
Speaker
There's like 5% of people that I think are moving with a lot of darkness. But by the way, 95% of people, they're just living their lives doing the same thing that I'm doing, just trying to survive day in and day out, ups and downs. But I think if we could really shake humanity to say, you gotta look at your neighbor and know that they're the same, we are not different, then you move with a lot more empathy, compassion, grace, love for your fellow being, so.
01:07:52
Speaker
That's my soapbox. Yes. And you just talk about love, compassion. And and when you are in that zone, you can just be of service to others. You know, I, I always really think about, you know, what, what's my life purpose and what do I want to um to do? And, and I think to wrap up that what you just said is by living authentically and by loving more,
01:08:20
Speaker
and by constantly reminding ourselves that we are different yet the same at the core, we can just make a very positive impact on each other by cheering each other's up, by being each other's biggest fans, by doing that we're all winning in our community, in our family, in our industry, and as humanity as large. And when we really remember that, when a lot more people, when we
01:08:54
Speaker
If that podcast can elect you, that idea of lighting torches, the more we talk about those things, the more we embody those things in actions in our lives, the more people are going to see that, are going to go, well, I love that way of living. Let me apply that. The more we light those torches, the more it becomes reality.
01:09:14
Speaker
So thank you for being a living proof that this is possible, that this is possible for someone as an artist, as a human, as a dad, as a human, as a friend, as as an icon that you are. I like to call you an icon because you are my icon in my muse. I like to call you my muse.
01:09:35
Speaker
um Yeah, I didn't talk about Moonlight, that movie, but that will be for another time. um For people who have not watched that movie, Moonlight by Barry Jenkins, that is one of the movies that really changed my life when I was studying fashion. Have you obviously watched it? No? I loved it. I actually got to meet Barry like two weeks ago here in Madrid. Yeah.
01:09:59
Speaker
I, yeah, and that was that was the the Moonlight Collection I wanted to do around that movie because I just felt so connected, um even though, you know, different stories, different countries, but as you say, and different yet the same. um Well, what can I, what can I wish, what what can I, if I have a little one wand, because, you know, I'm a little feather fairy, apparently.
01:10:25
Speaker
If you want to... You're a parakeet. Yeah. if you if If you could be granted a wish, what would that be? And I will put that in the universe and we'll close and the podcast with that. What is your yeah one wish? A personal wish. Whatever wish you want. I think a wish for that the adventure is sweet and magical.
01:10:54
Speaker
wish granted. thank it's flip very good be mu araas k getting us when they am but um so Thank you so much Griffin.
01:11:10
Speaker
This was Collective Connection, our second episode with g Griffin Matthews. To find out more about Griffin, check out all the links in our podcast info, listen to his songs, follow him on Instagram, and watch his movies, and his upcoming series Youth Season 5 on Netflix as Teddy.
01:11:29
Speaker
Go and be the biggest fans of your friends, colleagues, artists because when one wins, we all win. I want to extend my gratitude for all of you listening, whoever you are and wherever you are. Comment, share and like so we can spread more love far and wide.