After completing the conservatory program at Circle in the Square, George Griffith worked as a bathroom attendant in numerous New York City strip clubs in the 1990s.
As a big fan of the films, music, and acting of Giuseppe Andrews, George Griffith wrote the role of Ramone with him in mind.
The spectator shoes that appear in the movie are the actual shoes that George Griffith wore while working in the clubs. Though seen infrequently, he wore them during every shot of the film. He bought the shoes for $15 at a New York City flea market.
Griffith attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with cast members Lars Engstrom and Joe Roseto. He attended the conservatory at Circle in the Square with Jeffrey Doornbos and Matthew Lillard, and Steppenwolf West with Joe Holt, Micah Cohen, Lara Phillips, Amy Sloan, and Dalton Grant.