After filming the final season of You, Griffin Matthews made a surprise change in his life by moving overseas.
“I moved to Spain. I left America to try and expand my life and expand my artistry,” Matthews, 42, exclusively told Us Weekly while discussing his arc on season 5 of You. “I’m really looking forward to writing my own show, which I’m currently developing.”
Matthews clarified that his involvement in the entertainment industry hasn’t changed, adding, “It is time for us to see a character that I have played many, many times. I tend to play the same position on TV but I don’t ever see my position as No. 1 on the call sheet. So I’m writing the show for myself and I hope that it happens and everyone gets to see what it is to be in that position.”
While reflecting on his move, Matthews, who shares two kids with husband Matt Gould, acknowledged there were ups and downs.
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“It’s been both easy because Madrid is incredible — and it is easy in that way — but it is difficult and it’s hard to immigrate so I have an entirely new respect for immigrants,” he shared. “Obviously, our country is having a lot of conversations about immigrants and I think we don’t give them enough credit.”
Matthews broke down his commitment to his new life in Spain, telling Us, “I’m in Spanish school five days a week, four hours a day learning Spanish. I am expanding my artistry. I actually attended a cinema festival where I’m seeing movies that could never be made in America. But they’re being made here and it’s just incredible work.”
He continued: “I am so excited to expand my capabilities of storytelling and language. It’s where we’re at in the world right now. We need to take a pause and learn about other people. For me, the best way to do it and for my children was to pick up and grow and start a new life.”
Matthews has already been doing the work that comes with inclusive storytelling since becoming an actor. His most recent role was Teddy Lockwood in Netflix’s hit series You, which allowed Matthews to prioritize authenticity with his performance.
“We had many, many calls with our showrunners. The showrunners gave me a lot of freedom to make sure that Teddy felt authentic. I had the space to say, ‘I think in this particular scenario, a Black person in 2024 is going to say it like this,’” he recalled to Us. “We had to tackle race and culture and privilege. I wanted people who looked like me to see the show and recognize themselves on screen. So I was so lucky that our showrunners were so open to conversations.”
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Matthews noted that Teddy’s appearance was a good example of his involvement, adding, “We did an entire conversation about hair. I spent more time in the hair chair than any of the women on our show: four hours. We were just going hours and hours a day trying to craft a look because Teddy starts with an afro and then as the season progresses, he finally makes it to the end. I wanted him to look the way that he would look in Harlem — but now he’s the CEO.”
There were also discussions about how to capture Teddy properly through his personal life.
“I’ve played many gay men on television and I’ve never had a Black boyfriend or husband. So when I found out that Teddy had a husband and a son, I said ‘It might be interesting if we cast another Black actor and maybe a Black child. Because it will say something about who Teddy is when he’s not inside of this particular world. It will tell the viewer that Teddy is completely outside of this culture, that he’s a fish out of water when he’s in that office,’” Matthews explained. “I give the showrunners a lot of credit because they really heard some of the ideas that I had and implemented them in really, really special and beautiful ways.”
You is currently streaming on Netflix.
