Claim: Griffin, son of Jesse and Sarah Griffin, told an interviewer for List Film (a newspaper guide to arts and entertainment) that he was an "animal lover" thus he became fascinated with Tarzan at age 9.
Evidence: 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." He became fascinated with Tarzan at age 9 when he saw an image of the character on the side of a lunchbox. 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."