Olympics-Bound Surfer Griffin Colapinto Reveals Advice Matthew McConaughey Gave Him About Handling Fame

Who better to help surfer Griffin Colapinto ride a wave of good vibes straight to the 2024 Olympics than Matthew McConaughey?

"That was a pretty incredible little journey," the 25-year-old athlete told E! News in an exclusive interview, reflecting on how he went from idolizing the actor to surfing with his kid to getting a special shout-out from him on the eve of a major championship final.

Griffin basically "fell in love" with Matthew after reading his 2020 memoir Greenlights, he explained, and—knowing their shared affinity for journaling—he asked a mutual friend to see if it would be alright if he sent some of his Cola Bros journals to the actor's eldest son, now-16-year-old Levi McConaughey.

The pal, World Surf League analyst Strider Wasilewski, told Griffin that Levi was a big fan and would be "totally psyched" if he reached out.

When they were all in Hawaii, Griffin ended up surfing with Levi at Oahu's famed Pipeline—and enjoyed "a fun conversation" with the teen's dad.

The feeling was apparently mutual, because Matthew teamed with Quicksilver last summer to narrate a surprise hype video for the surfer ahead of the WSL final in September.

"The roof is a manmade thing, Griff," the movie star advised in his lyrical, Lincoln-touting way, "and you have no lid, so fly."

Better yet, Matthew apparently remembered that Griffin told him his favorite chapter of Greenlights was "A Roof Is a Man-Made Thing."

"It was about not setting limits for yourself and feeling like you deserve to be where you are," Griffin explained. "You know, if you made it this far you can keep going even further. It's really cool."

While he had his ear, the first surfer to qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic team also picked Matthew's brain about dealing with the sometimes awkward attention that comes with being famous.

"Obviously I'm nowhere even close to [McConaughey-level fame]," Griffin said, "but when we go to surf towns for these events, we experience a bit of fame and people wanting to get our autograph and talk to us—and interrupt us when we're in conversations with other people. It can be challenging."

Matthew told him that, when he's in an airport and a fan approaches for a photo, he'll politely say he's not taking pictures but will offer to shake hands and ask the person's name.

"And when people see that he's not taking photos," Griffin added, "they end up bailing."

Or, if the actor is mid-conversation, he'll make it clear that the selfie seekers will have to wait for him to finish if they want a pic. And oftentimes, they do.

"People will end up waiting 30 minutes to an hour for him to come take a photo," Griffin marveled. "But he just stays in the moment with whoever he's talking to, and if people feel like staying, then he'll do the photo."

All words of wisdom the San Clemente, Calif., native—who caught his first wave at 2 riding tandem with dad Mitch Colapinto—took to heart as someone who pays as much attention to his mental fortitude as he does his core strength, balance being more than a skill he's mastered on a surfboard.

Once upon a time, people looked at surfers as "pothead rebels" who "didn't care about anything," Griffin explained. "Then Kelly Slater came in and changed the game, stayed super-healthy and fit and absolutely dominated."

In the wake of Kelly's success, "people started training," Griffin continued, "getting their body strong. Then next thing you know, everyone's training and staying strong. And then, what's the next level to that? The mental training."

When you beef up your mental strength, "then you have even more upper hand on your competitors by being so aware of your feelings," Griffin explained. "The mental side of things plays such a big role. You start realizing, like, if everyone did this, everyone would be so much happier and healthier."

And, incidentally, in 2017 at the age of 19, Griffin became the first surfer from the mainland U.S. to win the sport's Triple Crown since Kelly earned the title in 1998.

Now going to his first Olympics for what will only be his sport's second appearance at the Games since surfing debuted in Tokyo three years ago, Griffin hasn't been keeping his feelings about prioritizing mental health to himself.

He and his younger brother Crosby Colapinto—both of whom "fell in love with journaling through surfing and wanting to be the best in the world"—partnered with To Write Love on Her Arms, which provides resources for those struggling with depression, addiction, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

Their advocacy caught the eye of 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics partner P&G Good Everyday, which awarded the siblings one of their 20 Athletes for Good grants worth $24,000 to donate to TWLOHA.

That money, Griffin said, can "help a lot of people that are struggling with challenges in their life, that don't know how to handle them or how to talk about it."

And just reaching out in the first place can feel like an insurmountable obstacle, he acknowledged.

"If you're feeling weird or off," he mused, "people kinda look at you as like, 'Oh, that guy's a weird one,' or, 'What's up with him?' It's really scary to face these things going on inside you that are making you not be yourself, and you just want to avoid it. But every time you avoid it, it just gets worse and worse—then, the next thing you know, you're depressed."

Not all that far removed from the crests and troughs of being a teenager, Griffin also sang the praises of TWLOHA's one-week interactive Between the Bells program, which fosters conversations about mental health between high school students.

"If traumas happen in your life and you completely push them under the rug, then over time it's gonna pop out somewhere later down the line and it's not gonna be good," he said. "Between the Bells highlights the mental side of things, just getting a group of kids together to share what they're going through and being able to relate with each other."

And he'll be packing all of this life experience with him when he heads to Tahiti, where—despite the fact that these are the Paris Olympics—all the surfing is taking place, more than 9,700 miles away from the French capital.

But Griffin—who when he spoke to E! was a few days away from flying to the French Polynesian island for a "quick week" to get acclimated, then return home to the O.C., then go back again for the Games—sounded unfazed.

"We just finished our eighth event of the year on the World Championship Tour," he noted, "so I'm just locked into that. Staying disciplined, keeping the body strong, mind healthy. Just staying on my routines, staying on an even keel all the way through."

And for anyone whose keel might not feel so even heading into competition, Griffin recommends leaning into that discomfort like a wave.

"I would say, just be aware of how you're feeling," he advised. "And be willing to recognize what it is might be challenging you, and either write it down or find someone close to you that you can talk to about it. 'Cause it seems like half the battle is just recognizing those thoughts or feelings."

Taking a break to tend to one's mental health can also be "a beautiful thing," Griffin added, pointing to some fellow surfers on the tour who've done so. Because, he explained, "you can't keep going" if you're not fully present on that board.

"You can't be one foot in, one foot out—it would just tear you apart," he said. "They're recognizing that they're not feeling good and taking a step out is massive. And you see surfers come back from that even stronger."

—Reporting by Nikaline McCarley

As Griffin prepares to (wet)suit up for the 2024 Olympics, check out what all the U.S. athletes will be wearing for the opening and closing ceremonies:

“Ralph Lauren has once again created designs that not only capture the essence of American style but also embody the spirit and pride of Team USA,” U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said in a press release. “As Team USA athletes prepare to represent the United States at the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games, this iconic apparel serves as a symbol of unity and inspiration for both our team and the millions of fans who will be cheering them on.”

And if you're keeping track, this is the ninth time Polo Ralph Lauren has been the outfitter for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Team.

“Ralph Lauren is profoundly honored to define the look of the American delegation as they represent our country in one of the world’s most celebrated and storied events," Ralph Lauren's Chief Branding and Innovation Officer David Lauren said in the release. "For nearly 60 years, Ralph Lauren has been a pioneer at the intersection of style and sport—the vibrancy, passion and self-expression in sport has been a central touchpoint of inspiration for our brand since the very beginning of the iconic Polo brand in 1967."

"This summer, Paris is the backdrop where fashion and sport will collide on the world’s stage with a global audience," he continued, "and that is an incredibly exciting proposition."

The 2024 Paris Olympics will run from July 26 to August 11, and the Paralympic Games will take place from August 28 to September 8. Fans will be able to watch the events on NBC channels and stream on Peacock.

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