'80s star Griffin Dunne was seen walking the streets of Manhattan in August with his beloved dog by his side, looking completely unrecognizable from his days acting opposite Madonna. The 70-year-old, who rose to fame in 1981 for his starring role in An American Werewolf in London, appeared relaxed as he sported green cargo shorts, a red Beefsteak Charlie's T-shirt, a green jacket, and black and red sneakers. He also donned black sunglasses as he walked his dog in NYC, his shock of white hair on full display.
Back to the beginning
Griffin has enjoyed a long and storied career, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. An American Werewolf in London was his big break, after he caught the acting bug in high school.
"It was the unexpected opportunity to be cast in [the film]," he told Closer in March. "I was quite inexperienced. I'd done some theater, maybe a small part in a movie. It was bewildering. Suddenly, I went from very tiny parts to co-star and shooting in London and flying over on the Concorde. Directors that I admired were introduced to me. It was quite a break."
He then earned acclaim alongside Madonna in the 1987 comedy Who's That Girl, and opened up to Closer about the incredible experience. "It was really fun. She was hilarious and we had a lot of laughs," he told the publication. "She was at the height of her stardom. Although I grew up in Hollywood, I'd never seen anything like that."
"There were helicopters," he continued. "Whenever we shot outside, they were hovering over us like we were O.J. Simpson in the Bronco. She just took it all in stride. Most people, myself included, would have had a nervous breakdown." He went on to direct Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in 1998's Practical Magic, and Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick in Addicted to Love. His other notable directorial credits include The Accidental Husband, Fierce People and Lisa Picard Is Famous.
All in the family
The star, who hails from a literary family, originally wanted to be a writer, rather than work in the film industry. "I thought I'd be a New Age journalist, like Hunter S. Thompson," he told Closer. His aunt was Joan Didion, the famed writer of The Year of Magical Thinking and The White Album. Griffin's uncle was journalist, novelist and screenwriter John Gregory Dunne, and his father was Dominick Dunne, novelist and Vanity Fair reporter.
The Hollywood veteran has been married three times and tied the knot with Anna Bingemann in 2009. He shares his daughter, Hannah Dunne, with his ex-wife, Carey Lowell. Griffin revealed the advice he gave to Hannah when she expressed her interest in following in his acting footsteps. "I told her to be open to all sorts of life and work experiences before she establishes herself and her choices become more limited. Be open to opportunities and say yes more often than no," he recalled.
Nowadays, Griffin enjoys caring for his animals at his upstate New York home, as well as cycling, playing tennis, and cooking.