Griffin Dunne: The murder that changed his famous family

Griffin Dunne is the son of Vanity Fair writer Dominick Dunne, nephew of legendary writer Joan Didion, and Carrie Fisher's best friend. He starred in the cult horror film An American Werewolf in London, and his acting career was just taking off when his sister Dominique Dunne (who had just starred in Poltergeist) was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend. As a child his parents threw legendary parties, including one where Sean Connery saved him from drowning in the family pool in Beverly Hills and when he was a teenager, he hung out with famous actors and directors at his aunt Joan Didion's place.Then as a struggling actor in his 20s, he shared a Manhattan apartment with his best friend, the actress Carrie Fisher. Griffin went on to achieve his own success, including a starring role in An American Werewolf in London. But after the murder of his younger sister, Griffin lost interest in his acting career. And his father Dominick, who wrote about his daughter's trial for Vanity Fair, went on to cover other high profile murder cases for the magazine, including the Menendez Brothers and OJ Simpson. Griffin's memoir is called The Friday Afternoon Club. PHOTO CREDIT: BRIGITTE LACOMBE To binge even more great episodes of the Conversations podcast with Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski go the ABC listen app (Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts. There you’ll find hundreds of the best thought-provoking interviews with authors, writers, artists, politicians, psychologists, musicians, and celebrities.