Thomas Ian Griffith

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Birthday:

18 March 1962, Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Height:

193 cm

Thomas Ian Griffith was born on March 18, 1962 in Hartford, Connecticut. His father, Thomas Joseph, was a college professor and his mother, Mary Ann, was a dance teacher. Griffith trained as an opera singer in New York City with Metropolitan Opera star Delia Rigal. He attended the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts (majoring in English literature and music). While still in school, he was cast in the Broadway show "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". He continued to work on Broadway and in regional theater, until moving to Los Angeles to star in his first feature film, The Karate Kid Part III (1989). After a successful acting career, Griffith segued into writing for television full time. His writing and producing credits include the NBC hit show "Grimm". He is married to actress Mary Page Keller and they have two sons, Conner Oneil and Eamon Michael. Show less «

(On action movies) It's like a kid playing, all the things you got in trouble for.

I didn't come from the typical martial arts background and then became a movie actor. It's sort of the other way around. I'm looked upon as ...Show more »

I didn't come from the typical martial arts background and then became a movie actor. It's sort of the other way around. I'm looked upon as a theater actor who happened to know martial arts before I got into the movies. So people tend to look at me in a different light. Show less «

I became addicted to Tae Kwon Do. It was a great sport to have on the side while I was working as an actor in New York.

I'm not real big socially. I've never been one for going out to parties. I do my own thing. I'm more for a one-on-one relationship. I prefer...Show more »

I'm not real big socially. I've never been one for going out to parties. I do my own thing. I'm more for a one-on-one relationship. I prefer spending time with my girlfriend. Show less «

No matter what happens, I will always be the same person.

(On movies in general) I want to do things with character, passion, heart.

(On being typecasted) Genre karate movies don't interest me.

Kids are always infatuated with the action in Martial Arts Films. Let me tell you, there is nothing better for kids than the Arts. That is w...Show more »

Kids are always infatuated with the action in Martial Arts Films. Let me tell you, there is nothing better for kids than the Arts. That is what kept me straight and decent. I always had a place to go. That was the dojo. I always had something to look forward to doing. Show less «

I think audiences like to see their favorite actor handle himself physically on screen, however he does it. He can wrestle, or box, or he ca...Show more »

I think audiences like to see their favorite actor handle himself physically on screen, however he does it. He can wrestle, or box, or he can know karate. That is attractive to the types of people who enjoy these (martial arts) movies. Plus, as an actor, it's a blast being able to do it. Show less «

I like to keep it mixed up. After The Karate Kid Part III (1989), I didn't want to do another movie like this. So I got the lead role in the...Show more »

I like to keep it mixed up. After The Karate Kid Part III (1989), I didn't want to do another movie like this. So I got the lead role in the film Rock Hudson (1990), just to break it up. I love doing the action, and I love doing the karate stuff but, at the same time, I like doing the drama as well, and I try to keep it in balance. I enjoy doing martial arts films, but I like the straight stuff, too. I'd like to go back and do some Shakespeare, and maybe knock out a play or two. It's all about keeping balance. Show less «