Interview: Blake Cooper Griffin Talks ‘Beerfest: Thirst For Victory’ – Exclusive

Blake Cooper Griffin is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. Fresh off the heels of his role in Love Is All You Need? alongside Emily Osment, Blake can next be seen in the CW Seed original film Beerfest: Thirst for Victory.

We chat with Blake about what viewers can expect from the movie, developing a television show of his own, and why it is so important to him to get involved with politics and encourage others to get out and vote.

Read on for our exclusive interview with Blake Cooper Griffin below:

What motivated you to initially pursue acting? Is there anyone who influenced or inspired you?

Blake Cooper Griffin: I think I’ve always been a curious person and I have an active imagination. When I watched movies as a kid I saw it as a way to escape, to imagine what it was like to live another life. That excited me and made me want to explore acting. Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio’s work has always inspired me. I’ve always admired that they are leading men who approached the work as character actors. I think that’s rare. I also draw inspiration from reading the news—learning about other people’s stories and wanting to shine a light on different human experiences.

You have already been able to work with some impressive names so far in your career. Is there anyone you would love to work with someday?

How much time do you have? There are so many actors I’d love to work with. Again, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. I’m a big fan of Ryan Reynolds, Jim Carrey, Cate Blanchett, and Kate McKinnon. I’d also love to work with Julia Louis Dreyfus! Veep is one of my favorite shows.

Can you tell us about your character in the CW Seed original film Beerfest: Thirst for Victory and what originally attracted you to the role?

Beerfest: Thirst for Victory is all about reclaiming the fun and confidence that you felt in college. I play a character named Scott. When we meet Scott, he’s in a post college slump—he hates his job, his girlfriend has dumped him, and he’s bored with who he’s become. In an attempt to get his mojo back, Scott convinces his friends to enter Beerfest. Reconnecting with his friends turned out to do a lot of good for Scott.
I was originally attracted to the project because I loved the script. The opportunity to do a comedy that was inspired by the original Broken Lizard film was also exciting. Additionally, I related to what Scott was going through—we’ve all had those periods in our lives where we feel like we’re stuck and looking to find the joy in life again. At the heart of Scott’s character is his love for his friends. That combined with his competitiveness made him a lot of fun to play.

How was the experience working alongside the cast? Are there any fun memories that stick out for you from filming?

The cast and crew of this movie were a blast. Our director Matt Johnson and the producers made the set an easy place to work. Lili [Mirojnick]—who plays Melanie in the film—and I were friends before shooting, but we had no idea the other had been cast. It was a great surprise showing up on the first day and seeing her name on the call sheet. All my cast mates are so talented—I’m lucky I got to work with them.

What would you say viewers can expect from Beerfest? What are you most excited for them to see?

I think they can expect to have a good time and laugh a lot. I’m most excited for them to see how good we are at the beer games. We worked hard at it! By the end, I was so good at beer pong and flip cup, I only needed one take.

CW Seed is a new platform from the network that makes it easy to binge-watch favorites both old and new. What are some of your favorite movies and series to binge watch on a night in?

CW Seed is such an amazing platform because it puts the viewer in control. If you want to watch Beerfest: Thirst for Victory at 2 a.m., you can. And yes, they have lots of other fun content to watch. I’ve been binge-watching old episodes of Dynasty on there. Believe it or not, my mom watched that show and loved it so much, she named me “Blake” after the main character Blake Carrington. I also just binge-watched all seasons of Episodes on Showtime. The show is hilarious.

You have shown in the past that it is important to use your voice and platform for good, especially in today’s world. Can you talk a little about why it was important for you to get involved in politics and encouraging others to get out and vote?

I’m an actor, not a politician, but I am also a citizen. I think it is critical that we as citizens make our voices heard. That’s the backbone of democracy. I love this country, so I see it as my duty to vote. So I’ve been making it my mission to get all my friends and family and anyone who will listen registered to vote for the upcoming November midterm elections. Such much is at stake that will affect people’s lives. There’s a great website, IWillVote.com, where you can register to vote or check to make sure you are registered.

Expanding upon that, you also take the time to give back to your community. Can you talk to us about your work with anti-bullying campaigns?

I did a movie called Love is All You Need?  that was inspired by true stories of bullying. When we went to show the film in different areas across the country, I had the opportunity to talk to people about their experiences, and it made me realize what a widespread problem bullying is. So I’ve volunteered with several anti-bullying nonprofits and I collaborated with NPR’s Generation Listen to explore bullying and its origins in an in-depth fashion.

How has the fan support been for you so far? Do you enjoy interacting with fans on social media?

I really enjoy interacting with people who appreciate what I do or are moved by project I’ve been a part of. It’s great hearing from people on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter. Instagram is probably my favorite. You can find me on Insta @blakecoopergriffin, and on Twitter @thegriffster.

What else are you working on? What can your fans look forward to from you next?

Up next, I’m developing a TV show with my very talented friend Kim Shaw. Kim and I have acted together in several projects and we decided we wanted to work on something where we would have total creative control. So we’ve been writing and developing content for ourselves. Some exciting things have been happening with it, so, stay tuned.

---

Thank you so much to Blake Cooper Griffin for taking the time to answer some questions for us!

Keep up to date with Blake by following him on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to check out Beerfest: Thirst For Victory on the CW Seed app.

Connect with Pop City Life on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.