Meet Anthony
Who is Anthony Griffith?ENTERTAIN, ENGAGE, EDUCATE
For the past 25 years, I’ve been blessed to have the privilege of performing throughout the world on stage, television and the big screen and encouraging others to follow their passion, but, it didn’t start that way.
The performing bug bit me early. Like a lot of kids I participated in school plays, and talent shows. In high school my desire was to become a world renown escape artist. ” While other boys were playing sports , I was getting out of handcuffs, chains and straight jackets. I was building a fan base in the community, until unexpectedly someone stole my straight jacket. One of the drawbacks growing up in the inner city.
While in college I took up stand up comedy where I performed at comedy clubs, colleges, restaurants, hotels, strip clubs, etc. “I performed anywhere and everywhere, in the hopes of learning and mastering the craft.”
Hard work was rewarded in the nineties by appearing on Ed McMahon’s, “Star Search”. I was the toast of the town. I was meeting people, shaking hands and invited to industry parties. Then my first dose of the fickleness of Hollywood, when I finally lost in the finals. The agents and producers who were wooing me no longer called. My phone calls went unanswered. The messages I left with the assistants were not returned. My wife, seeing my confusion,hurt and anger of my plight, simply said, “honey, they got your messages, did you get theirs?’
Shaken but determined, I pressed on hoping to further my career. With the help of a manager , I landed a spot on the coveted “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Soon followed several more television appearances on the “Tonight Show,””The Arscenio Hall Show,”as well as various appearances on sitcoms and variety shows. I was on a roll, or so I thought. My notoriety hadn’t increased my income. In fact I was broke and seeking a day job!
Ego bruised and somewhat thinner, I limped on. Audition after audition, rejection after rejection until I started seriously doubting my talent. And then eureka ,I landed two movies back to back. The Mario Van Peoples movie, “Panther,” and the cult classic, “Tales From the Hood.” Although I was a costar in both films, when I walked the red carpet, no one knew who I was. My career had flat-lined!
Y o u k n o w how s o m e t i m e s you have those m o m e n t s when you wake up out of denial? Well, that was one of those moments. I r e a l i z e d something very important. I didn’t have a career, it was more like a very expensive hobby. One that wasn’t much fun either.
I s t a r t e d to get angry that my college and elite representation didn‘t teach me the business components to have a s u c c e s s f u l entertainment career . I started reading everything I possibly could o n successful people in the entertainment field. I devoured books on marketing and business. I hired coaches, mentors. I tested and tested lots of ideas.
Over the years, I’ve developed key strategies that helped revive my career, culminating in receiving an Emmy for the independent movie, “Our Father.” Soon I started teaching others in the entertainment field these business strategies with success!
That was the moment I decided to devote my professional life to not only entertaining, but,t e a c h i n g business strategies to individuals in the entertainment field so they too can have their ultimate fulfilling career in far less time that it took me.
Several years ago, I was diagnosed with multiple sclerios. Never one to have the “I can’t,” mindset, but the,I will, eventually, just in a different way, has aided me in this new journey in my life. Now I combine speaking with entertaining as I share with groups and individuals around the country my personal story, “Life with Laughter,” in hopes of encouraging others to pursue their passions in spite of.
Contacts:
West Coast and New Media
Griffith and Associates 818.660.0922
Corporate Events
The Grable Group 615.283.0039
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