Griffin Dunne on Envy as a Driving Force in Hollywood
In CULTURED's Indulgence issue, actor Griffin Dunne reflects on how envy has shaped his career. He recounts early auditions where a rival actor's bravado secured a part, and later, his envy of Jeff Daniels after seeing him in Lanford Wilson's Fifth of July in 1980. Dunne also recalls competing with Tom Hanks for the role of Allan Bauer in Splash. He describes a painful encounter with an actor who resented him, only to later recommend that same actor for a role. Dunne concludes that envy, while destructive, can also drive ambition, citing Steve Jobs, Edison, Tesla, and young Robert De Niro and Al Pacino as examples.
Key facts
- Griffin Dunne wrote about envy for CULTURED's Indulgence issue.
- He envied an actor who gave another actor money to blow an audition.
- He envied Jeff Daniels after seeing him in Fifth of July in 1980.
- He competed with Tom Hanks for the role of Allan Bauer in Splash.
- An actor he met at a party resented Dunne for not remembering his name.
- Dunne later recommended that actor for a TV role.
- The actor initially thought Dunne was arrogant but was grateful.
- Dunne has yet to play Iago on stage.
Entities
Artists
- Griffin Dunne
- Jeff Daniels
- Tom Hanks
- Robert De Niro
- Al Pacino
- Orson Welles
- Steve Jobs
- Edison
- Tesla
- Jamieson Webster
- Dries Van Noten
- Christine Sun Kim
- Mia Khalifa
- Brontez Purnell
- Helen Molesworth
- Joshua Foltz
Institutions
- CULTURED
- Broadway
- IMDb
- Greyhound
Locations
- New York
- SoHo