Jurassic Park was inspired by the original novel by Michael Crichton, who served as a co-writer on the film adaptation. While it took direct inspiration from the novel, the film also featured a few key changes, including one suggested at the last minute by franchise star Jeff Goldblum.
According to Vanity Fair, Goldblum has revised Jurassic Park to share some insights on various scenes. He highly praised director Steven Spielberg for his generosity in directing, introducing the story of how Goldblum came up with the idea to make his character more heroic. The particular scene is when the lawyer (Martin Ferrero) tries to hide from the T-Rex by hiding in a bathroom, only to be devoured by the dinosaur shortly after. In the script, Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm was written to immediately flee the area out of fear.
However, Goldblum did not feel that this was the right move for his Jurassic Park character. The actor believed that Malcolm would not be so quick to escape, suggesting to Spielberg that the character should be a little more courageous than was written in that scene. Considering that there are many famous directors who prefer to stick to the script, there was certainly no guarantee that Goldblum's request would be granted. As the actor explained, however, Spielberg was okay with the change, adding it to the film just in time for shooting.
Jeff Goldblum Wanted Dr. Ian Malcolm to Have More “Eat”
“You know, if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Spielberg and I were talking, and he was so generous“, Goldblum said. “We came up with this idea that, instead of in the book, as we started talking, the lawyer, you remember, says, 'Ah, I shouldn't be here because the dinosaurs, or the T-Rex are out.' And he goes to the bathroom and [the dinosaur] he eats it from the toilet. And then my character, he says, “I'm leaving here too.” And then he chases me and, lo and behold, provides a moment for… Alan Grant to save the kids.”
Goldblum added: “I think it came out in a discussion, where we said, 'Hey, what if instead of being repetitive with the lawyer, you know, not that these guys aren't scary, dinosaurs aren't scary, but maybe my character is a little bit, he has a hint of courage and selfless heroism in himand he goes, takes that flashlight, turns it on and purposely distracts the dinosaur.' We all thought it was a good idea. However, if you're interested in making some sausage, things changed a bit at the last minute.”
Maybe my character has a bit of grit and altruistic heroism.
Giving Malcolm a little more swagger may have helped make the character a fan favorite with viewers. Malcolm even became so popular that Goldblum was brought back to play the role in the first sequel, The Lost WorldGoldblum would later reprise the role in the 2018 film Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and 2022 Jurassic World Domination.
The next chapter in the franchise, Jurassic World Rebirthwill be released in theaters on July 2, 2025.
Source: Vanity Fair