Where are the Jurassic Park cast now? In 1993, Steven Spielberg brought dinosaurs back from extinction in one of his finest movies. More than just a great cinematic romp, the action movie boasts a quality cast that guides us through the mayhem.
Steven Spielberg filled many roles with established character actors who’d already worked on favourites from the world of independent and arthouse cinema. Some got their big break in the adventure movie and have kept giving us great performances, and one or two have retired from Hollywood altogether.
Since the action movie Jurassic World brought some of them back, we’ve decided to remind you of Isla Nublar’s first guests and where you might have spotted them since. Most have left the prehistoric era behind, but they’re still excavating some great cinema. Just with less Tyrannosaurus Rex, for which we can’t blame them. As the great Richard Attenborough might say — welcome to our Jurassic Park cast guide.
Who’s in the Jurassic Park cast?
- Sam Neill (Dr Alan Grant)
- Laura Dern (Dr Ellie Satler)
- Jeff Goldblum (Dr Ian Malcolm)
- Richard Attenborough (Dr John Hammond)
- Joseph Mazzello (Tim Murphy)
- Ariana Richards (Lex Murphy)
- Wayne Knight (Dennis Nedry)
- BD Wong (Dr Henry Wu)
- Samuel L. Jackson (Arnold)
Dr Alan Grant – Sam Neill
One of two world-renowned palaeontologists Dr John Hammond invites to see Isla Nublar, Dr Alan Grant is the audience’s eyes and ears to the sheer spectacle of seeing dinosaurs in the flesh. His knowledge of these incredible animals makes sure those who survived had a chance to begin with.
Impossible: The best science fiction movies
He’s portrayed by Sam Neill, a celebrated character actor whose credits range from horror movies such as Possession and Event Horizon to drama movies like The Piano and Bicentennial Man. Besides returning to the Jurassic franchise, you may have noticed him in Peaky Blinders season 1, as the fake Odin in the MCU‘s Thor Ragnarok, and as the voice of Tommy Brock in the Peter Rabbit reboot.
Dr Ellie Satler – Laura Dern
An expert paleobotanist and professional partner to Dr Grant, Dr Ellie Satler is the first one to begin questioning Jurassic Park when she finds poisonous plant life within the animal habitats. Of course, that would only be the tip of the iceberg for the issues, but she senses something’s off from the get-go.
The stars above: The best sci-fi series
Before Jurassic Park, Laura Dern worked on acclaimed David Lynch films Blue Velvet and Wild at Heart, as well as the 1982 punk rock musical Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains. Nowadays, she’s part of Star Wars, with a role in The Last Jedi, and she’s been in a number of acclaimed features, like Oscars contenders Marriage Story and Little Women (in which her Marmie Marsh earned a spot on our best movie moms list), and teen movie The Fault in Our Stars.
Dr Ian Malcolm – Jeff Goldblum
The man, the meme, the legend: Jeff Goldblum lying down, unbuttoned, has become the enduring image of Jurassic Park in the social media age. Goldblum’s Dr Ian Malcolm is a mathematician tasked with examining Isa Nubla’s infrastructure. Unfortunately for all involved, the problems were easily noticed.
Where it all began: Jurassic Park movies in order
Acting since the ’70s, a turn in monster movie The Fly was Goldblum’sbig credit before Jurassic Park turned him into a Hollywood star. He went on to lead the disaster movie Independence Day with Will Smith in the ’90s, as well as Jurassic Park The Lost World. He’s now the Grandmaster in the MCU, a regular of Wes Anderson’s, and has his own Disney Plus docu-series, The World According to Jeff Goldblum.
Dr John Hammond – Richard Attenborough
We’d probably hate Dr John Hammond if it wasn’t for Richard Attenborough’s grandfatherly performance. His blend of scientific hubris and capitalistic greed makes him a stand-in for any number of corporate leaders we’re expected to worship.
Believe your eyes: The best fantasy movies
Attenborough had a storied career for several decades before Jurassic Park. Jet Storm, The Great Escape, Doctor Dolittle, The Sand Pebbles, 10 Rillington Place, The Chess Players, we could list great roles of his for hours. Not just a wondrous actor, he was a fine director, with 1982’s Gandhi considered one of the best movies of all time. To top it all, he was Santa Clause for the remake of Miracle on 34th Street.
Tim Murphy – Joseph Mazzello
However horrid you think some of your family holidays have been, the Murphy kids had it considerably worse. Tim is the younger brother and John Hammond’s grandson, who manages to stay alive thanks to his big sister, and Alan Grant’s understanding of prehistoric creatures.
Though he’s had plenty of roles over the years, in family movie Star Kid and the scary movie The Hollow, Joseph Mazzello recently jumped back to prominence. He played John Deacon in Queen movie Bohemian Rhapsody, and portrayed Paul Begala in 2021’s Impeachment – American Crime Story.
Lex Murphy – Ariana Richards
The older sibling to Tim, Lex is a whizzkid whose computing skills successfully restore Isla Nublar’s power and reactivate the locks on the security system. Hey, it was 1993 – knowing your way around a home computer was a rare talent in those days.
Now a fine art graduate, Lex Murphy has largely left the acting world behind in favour of teaching painting while creating art herself. She’s had small roles here and there, but nothing on the scale of Jurassic Park, and her last credit is 2013’s Battledogs.
Dennis Nedry – Wayne Knight
Ah ah ah, you didn’t say the magic word! Well, actually, yes, you did by clicking on this piece. The real villain of Jurassic Park is an unrefined private expenditure, but the other baddie is Dennis and his attempts to sell dinosaur embryos to a rival. It does not work out for him.
Newman! Best comedy series
Wayne Knight should be familiar to Seinfeld fans as Kramer’s aloof pal Newman. A regular in TV and film, Knight has lent his voice to Disney movies Tarzan and Buzz Lightyear of Star Command, had bit parts in Hail, Caesar and Narcos, and was part of the main cast in The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair on Epix.
Dr Henry Wu – BD Wong
One of the smarter characters in the franchise, Dr Henry Wu, is a geneticist that helped create the cloning framework on which Isla Nublar is built. When it all goes to shit, he’s straight out on a boat. There’s smart, and there’s clever, and Henry is both.
Success at any price: Highest grossing movies
Working regularly after Jurassic Park, BD Wong became a regular on Law and Order – Special Victims Unit in the early 2000s, appearing in 143 episodes across a dozen or so seasons. He was Hugo Strange on Gotham, had a recurring voice role on the comedy series Robot Chicken, and now has a starring part in Awkwafina’s Is Nora from Queens.
Arnold – Samuel L Jackson
Isla Nublar’s chief engineer meets a grisly end, but not before incidentally letting out the Velociraptors with a system reset. To be fair, turning it off and on again does usually work. His line “Hold onto your butts” is up there in memorable quotes.
Look, it’s Samuel L Jackson. You know him because he’s everywhere. Quentin Tarantino movies, Star Wars movies as Mace Windu, the MCU’s Nick Fury, and the MonsterVerse. He’s one of the most well-rounded actors of his generation, and Jurassic Park is just one classic he’s popped up in.
That’s the cast of Jurassic Park. Sorry, we didn’t include Chris Pratt. Maybe we’ll add him when we inevitably hear about the Jurassic World 4 release date. For other articles to make you feel like a dinosaur, check out our guides to the Die Hard cast, the Harry Potter cast, and the Home Alone cast. Or, keep up to date with every major new movie in 2023, including Barbie, Fast and Furious 10, and Oppenheimer.
