Griffin Dunne facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Griffin Dunne
Dunne in 2010
Born	Thomas Griffin Dunne (1955-06-08) June 8, 1955 (age 70) New York City, U.S.
Education	The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre
Occupation	Actor director producer
Years active	1975–present
Spouse(s)	Carey Lowell ​ ​ (m. 1989; div. 1995)​ Anna Bingemann ​ ​ (m. 2009; div. 2010)​
Children	Hannah Dunne
Parent(s)	Dominick Dunne Ellen Griffin
Relatives	Dominique Dunne (sister) John Gregory Dunne (uncle) Joan Didion (aunt)

Thomas Griffin Dunne (born June 8, 1955) is an American actor, director, and producer. He is famous for playing Jack Goodman in the movie An American Werewolf in London (1981) and Paul Hackett in After Hours (1985). For his role in After Hours, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor.

Early life

Griffin Dunne was born in New York City, U.S. His parents were Ellen Beatriz and Dominick Dunne. He has an older brother, Alexander, and a sister, Dominique Dunne. His father was a producer, writer, and actor. Griffin is also the nephew of famous writers John Gregory Dunne and Joan Didion.

He grew up in Los Angeles. He went to school in Massachusetts and Colorado. There, he became very interested in acting and performed in many school plays. Later, he moved back to New York to follow his dream of acting. He studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.

Career

Acting

Griffin Dunne started his acting career when he was 19 years old. His first small role was in the movie The Other Side of the Mountain in 1975. Since then, he has acted in many films and TV shows.

Some of his well-known movie roles include:

• Jack Goodman in An American Werewolf in London (1981)
• Tommy Kelly in Johnny Dangerously (1984)
• Paul Hackett in After Hours (1985)
• Loudon Trott in Who's That Girl (1987), where he acted alongside Madonna
• Jake Bixler in My Girl (1991)
• Dr. Vass in the Oscar-winning movie Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

He has also appeared in many TV shows. He was a guest star in Frasier and Saturday Night Live. He also appeared in Alias and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. From 2018 to 2022, he played Nicky Pearson, Jack Pearson's brother, in the popular TV series This Is Us.

Producing

Griffin Dunne also works as a producer. A producer helps make sure a movie or TV show gets made. They manage the money and the creative parts of the project.

His first producing job was for the movie Chilly Scenes of Winter in 1982. He formed a production company with his friends, Amy Robinson and Mark Metcalf. They worked hard to get the movie released the way they wanted it. After Mark Metcalf left, Griffin and Amy continued their company, called Double Play Productions. They produced several films, including Baby It's You, After Hours, and Running on Empty.

Directing

Griffin Dunne has also directed films. A director is in charge of how a movie looks and sounds. They guide the actors and the film crew.

His first time directing was for a short film called Duke of Groove in 1995. For this film, he was nominated for an Academy Award! He has since directed five full-length movies, including Practical Magic (1998). In 2017, he produced and directed Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold. This was a documentary about his aunt, the author Joan Didion. He interviewed her and appeared in the film himself.

Writing

Griffin Dunne has also written articles for newspapers and magazines. He has a collection of short stories called Air Guitar. In 2024, he released a family memoir called The Friday Afternoon Club, which became a New York Times best-seller.

Personal life

Griffin Dunne was married to American actress Carey Lowell from 1989 to 1995. They have one daughter together, Hannah Dunne, who was born in 1990 and is also an actress. He was also married to Australian stylist Anna Bingemann from 2009 to 2010.

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Griffin Dunne para niños