Meet Billy Griffin, Jr. | Actor, Teacher, Graphic Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Billy Griffin, Jr. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Billy, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
To be honest, I’m still working on this, all the time. But I think I’m getting better at saying “no” to work (creative or otherwise) that doesn’t sustain me in some way. There’s a three prong test I like: you’ve got the project, the people, and the pay, and if two of the three are good, it’s worth considering. There’s an impulse sometimes, and maybe especially as a freelancer, to say “yes” to everything, to throw as much spaghetti at the wall as possible in hopes that some of it sticks. But burnout is real, and I’ve learned that I need to be a little more selective about where I commit my time and energy.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’m an actor first, but I also teach, write a little, produce sometimes, and do all kinds of graphics and presentation design, among other things (like any good creative multi-hyphenate trying to survive capitalism!).

My creative journey has been an interesting (and on-going!) one, informed I think by lots of different experiences as an actor, artist and teacher.

I’m from Buffalo, NY originally but I lived in New York City for about fifteen years. I trained as an actor at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, went on to TA at the Meisner Studio there (under the mentorship of then studio head Vicki Hart), and later taught my own classes for the Open Arts program. I ran a theater company for a bit and did loads of indie theater.

I then spent two years living abroad in London, where I got to work on more film and television, including the critically acclaimed Outlander and a very special episode of Black Mirror, San Junipero, which took home the Emmy for Best TV Movie in 2017.

I came back to NY in time for the pandemic and spent a remarkably productive year hunkered down in my UES apartment, teaching virtual Shakespeare classes, directing a student production at NYU via Zoom, and writing and performing a virtual solo show about grief and heartbreak, Getting Over Him (You Can’t), which I streamed from my bedroom.

I made the jump to LA about two years ago and learned that while I absolutely love NY, having a back yard with a lemon tree is also an excellent way to live your life.

I’m most excited about my upcoming short film, G L O R Y which we shot in March. G L O R Y is about a grief-stricken gay man, his obsession with glory holes, and a psychedelic trip that helps him to connect the dots. The film is the result of years-long research into queer cruising culture, and specifically glory holes, which have historically provided much needed anonymity to queer folks. But it’s just the framework for a larger story about grief, belonging, and identity, prompted by my own experience of unexpectedly losing a dear and formative gay friend. It’s an incredibly personal project that I’m very proud of, one I hope will be coming to a film festival near you in 2025!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We’d start with a visit to Saint, a favorite cafe in Studio City, for a latte and an Argentine Spinach Quiche (and an almond croissant if it’s the weekend!). Once we’re caffeinated, we’d slab on some SPF and head outdoors, either a hike up to the Hollywood sign if we’re feeling trendy, or over to Altadena to the Millard Canyon Falls Trail, if we’re craving something a little quieter. But we might bail on both of those and just head to Huntington Gardens for a stroll through the succulents. We’d make our way back west for lunch at Roadside Tacos and then pop over to the Universal AMC for a movie. The rest of the afternoon would be for thrifting and/or massages at Fred Parker Wellness in Studio City, followed by a well deserved nap or a restorative yoga class at White Heat in North Hollywood. We’d rally for a dinner out at Bacari — small plates, excellent vibes, awesome food — and round out the evening with a night cap somewhere swanky.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I am so lucky to have had incredible teachers in my life, many of whom became mentors, and later friends. Across the board, I’m fortunate to have been guided by encouraging and compassionate people — and really this goes back to grammar school — who gave me space to explore my creativity and build craft as an artist. I think it’s in part why I started teaching; it feels like a kind of cosmic responsibility to pay it forward and to teach others as I have been taught.

Website: https://www.billygriffinjr.com

Instagram: @billygriffinjr

Image Credits
Personal Photo: Drew Blackwell
01: from G L O R Y, dir. Kai Kim
02: from Sorry for the Mess, dir. Joshua Gacita
03: from Severance Activation, 2022 SDCC, dir. Kai Kim
04: Huebner Headshots