Maggie Griffin is featured in the Fall 2008 issue of ELDR magazine. At age 88, she is one of the most recognized people in her West Hollywood neighborhood because of her daughter, Kathy Griffin, the wildly popular, eccentric, and often outrageous comedian, actress, and star of her own Emmy Award-winning reality TV show, Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D List.
ELDR’s Editor-in-Chief, Dave Bunnell, sat down with Maggie and her famous daughter as part of a segment of the reality show. As one of the magazine’s “Inspiring ELDRs,” Maggie Griffin is no longer shocked by her famous daughter’s antics and now comfortable in her role as a Hollywood mom.
Here are some quotes from the interview:
(Maggie) On growing up with Kathy: “I know a lot of people will be surprised, but Kathy was a wonderful, easy-to-raise teenager. I’d say she’s more of a problem as a grown-up, which is odd.”
(Kathy) On growing up with Maggie: “She’s still trying to grow up, Dave. That’s the problem. My mom gave birth to me when she was 70 years old. It was a miracle birth.”
(M) On whether Kathy went out drinking, smoking dope and hanging out with older guys as a teenager: “No, no. She was in the drama club and she was in all these plays and musicals. She was always funny. As a little girl she used to do a performance in our basement called ‘The Kathy Griffin Show.’”
(K) On Kathy’s biggest challenge with her mother: “My biggest challenge was dealing with a mother who was so old all the time.”
(M) On the first time Kathy ran away from home: “Oh my gosh, she was just a little thing, about four or five. We were at a big family gathering. All of a sudden, when we were ready to go, we couldn’t find Kathy. Pandemonium broke out. We called the police, and everyone was looking for her. I was crying in the back of a police car when we got a call that she was in a little café on Oak Park Boulevard. She had a bottle of soda with her that she carried from the picnic.”
(K) On the time she ran away: “I was carrying a bottle, just like Mom. Are you sure I’m your daughter, Mom? You might have picked up the wrong girl…”
(M) On Kathy being troublesome as an adult and whether she shocks Maggie: “Not so much anymore. I accept her shtick.”
(K) On her Emmy acceptance speech: “I showed it to her [Maggie] ahead of time, and she said it was funny.”
(M) On what Maggie really thought of Kathy’s Emmy acceptance speech: “No, I didn’t. I told her, ‘You are going to offend a lot of people” … But I was thrilled she won the award anyway.”
(M) On her personal secrets to longevity: “I love being around my family. They all have a great sense of humor, and all my kids are funny. My husband was funny and, of course, Kathy. I think that helps an awful lot.”
(K) On her mother’s diet: “She eats like a 19-year old frat guy. If I could hold her upside down, all the jelly beans would fall out. She eats nacho cheese dip and only the stuff that comes in cans, burritos from 7-Eleven, Sara Lee frozen dinners. Oh my god, I wish we could raid her kitchen right now—there’d be bags and bags of tortilla chips, Oreos, Twinkies, and cinnamon buns.”
(M) On Maggie’s own opinion of her diet: “That’s not true. I eat very well—and lots of fresh veggies and lots of fruits.”
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