Claim: Griffin, son of Jesse and Sarah Griffin, told an interviewer for List Film that he was an "animal lover" and thus he became fascinated with Tarzan at age 9.
Evidence: He became fascinated with Tarzan at age 9 when he saw an image of the character on the side of a lunchbox. Griffin was born in Starkville, Mississippi, the son of Jesse E. Griffin, an optometrist, and Sarah D. Griffin, who worked as "a homemaker and later for Alexander's Home Health." As a child, he told an interviewer for List Film, he was an "animal lover" who was "captivated by the notion of interacting with apes, elephants and other exotic species."