Page 116 - Demo

116 || FASHION MAGAZINE || MAY / JUNE 2015 Blake Cooper Griffin, the South Carolina native who graduated from the prestigious School of Drama at the North Carolina School of Arts and immediately found an agent and moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career, is obviously one of those smart, passionate people. He immediately made a name for himself with notable parts in primetime television and with leading roles in theatre productions at some of the best stages in L.A. We can look forward to seeing the charming and sexy leading man showcase his abilities in the upcoming film Ride alongside Helen Hunt in theatres May 1st. MOST Fashion snagged some time with the actor to hear behind the scenes details from Ride, what working with Helen Hunt is like, and what he hopes to accomplish in the next twenty years or so. Hint: it might have something to do with time travel or working alongside Leonardo DiCaprio!FMM: How did you first know that you wanted to make acting your full time career? Or did you always have that goal? BCG: When I was a kid, I used to fake sick and skip school, with a friend of mine, and use my parents%u2019 video camera to make movies. The scripts were bad, and I played almost all of the parts. My poor friend always had to be the camera person. I%u2019ve evolved as an actor, but I%u2019ve always had the desire to tell stories. FMM: What was it like working with Helen Hunt on your upcoming film Ride?BCG: I respect Helen Hunt and her work so much. So, working with her was a dream come true. She%u2019s done it all-film, television, actor, director, writer, comedy, drama. Being around someone who is so good at what they do is inspiring and motivating. One thing I picked up from her is that no matter what was happening, Helen was focused on the truth of the moment. Finding that truth in the scene- It%u2019s a simple concept that%u2019s not always easy to hold on to in the middle of a film shoot. She%u2019s a master at it.FMM: Tell us one fun behind the scenes story from Ride. BCG: Much of Ride takes place near the beach, so there were some early morning swims before call time! FMM: Where do you see yourself in twenty years/what do you hope to accomplish?BCG: Wow. 20 years is a long time! Here%u2019s what I want. I want a career that reaches people and stands for something. I want the parts to be frequent and diverse. I want to be challenged and turned on by every day. I want to work with interesting people and say something truthful. I hope I%u2019m surrounded by love, and I hope to laugh a lot. I also wouldn%u2019t turn down the opportunity to work with Baz Luhrmann or be in a movie opposite Leonardo DiCaprio. FMM: What was the most challenging role you have portrayed so far and why?BCG: I just finished a film called Love is All You Need that will be out later this year. The film is about a guy and girl in college who fall in love in a world where being gay is the norm and find themselves bullied once their relationship goes public. I play a dark, passionate, complicated character named Bill Bradley who has major issues with the couple%u2019s relationship. The role required a lot of emotional and physical energy. I loved every single second of it.By: Darcy Tharp