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Even if you haven’t seen Jurassic Park, it is most definitely on your “to watch” list, right? And if it’s not, then it should be. Although on the surface it seems like nothing more than one of your average “large creatures wreaking havoc” films, the core message runs much deeper. Rather than humans being the unassuming victims of a random attack, we are, in fact, at fault for resurrecting something that was, as becomes increasingly obvious, extinct for a reason. Alongside large vehicles being effortlessly pushed over and screaming businessmen being scooped up and swallowed whole, the viewer is also led to consider the true consequence of man playing God.
It can be tempting to think of the ground-breaking animatronic T-Rex as the star of the film, but the human beings involved made a more than valuable contribution. From the intense passion of Dr. Alan Grant to the blatant recklessness of John Hammond, the cast of Jurassic Park brings a perfect blend of humour, knowledge, drama, and action to an already innovative and critically acclaimed film.
Since then, this star studded group of people has continued to remain just that. Through high profile film roles, television appearances, and even breathtaking artwork, here is what the cast of Jurassic Park were able to achieve after escaping with all their limbs intact.
10. Joseph Mazzello / Timothy “Tim” Murphy
Joseph Mazzello has stayed very much involved in show business as both a child and adult actor. Some of his most notable film appearances include The River Wild (1994), The Cure (1995), The Social Network (2010), and G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013). He has also been on episodes of The Pacific, Without A Trace, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Providence, Coma, Justified, and Person of Interest.
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Mazzello’s directorial debut was the 2007 short film Matters of Life and Death, which hosted an impressive cast including David Strathairn, Daniel Gillies, and Rachael Leigh Cook. His dedication to film extended into his education, and he was able to enroll in the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2001 following the recommendation of director Steven Spielberg.
9. Sam Neill / Dr. Alan Grant - THEN
Jurassic Park is just one of the films that catapulted Sam Neill into the spotlight in the 1990s. The same year it was released, he starred as Holly Hunter’s husband in The Piano and was honoured with the Order of the British Empire. He then promptly went on to make the most of the decade by taking on endeavours such as Sirens (1994), Children of the Revolution (1996), Sweet Revenge, Merlin, The Horse Whisperer (1998), and Bicentennial Man (1999).
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In the 2000s, he resumed hiding from dinosaurs in Jurassic Park III (2001) and landed roles in projects like the The Tudors (2007) and Dean Spanley (2008). His most recent appearances include the 2012 films The Vow and The Hunter. Along with acting, Neill manages a New Zealand winery and directed the 1995 documentary about the New Zealand film industry titled Cinema of Unease: A Personal Journey by Sam Neill.
8. Laura Dern / Dr. Ellie Sattler - THEN
Despite being in big name films like Citizen Ruth (1996) and October Sky (1999), Laura Dern has garnered the most praise for her television roles. In 1993, she received a Golden Globe Award for her role as Janet Harduvel in HBO’s Afterburn. Five years later, in 1997, she was nominated for an Emmy Award for a guest appearance on the sitcom Ellen.
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She received two more Golden Globe’s in the late 2000s for the TV movie Recount (2008) and HBO’s Enlightened, which she co-created and co-executive produced. In 2014, she took on more film roles in The Fault in Our Stars and When the Game Stands Tall. She also portrayed Reese Witherspoon’s deceased mother in Wild, which earned her a second Oscar nomination.
7. Jeff Goldblum / Dr. Ian Malcolm - THEN
Jeff Goldblum took on another blockbuster role alongside Will Smith as computer expert David Levinson in Independence Day (1996). A year later, he reprised his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park: The Lost World. He soon moved away from blockbusters and appeared in films of various genres including Igby Goes Down (2002), The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), Fay Grim (2007), The Switch, and Morning Glory (2010).
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The 2000s also marked Goldblum’s return to television. In 2005, he received an Emmy nomination for his guest performance on NBC’s Will & Grace and in 2009 joined the cast of Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Detective Zack Nichols. He currently teaches acting at Playhouse West in Los Angeles.
6. Richard Attenborough / John Hammond
Soon after Jurassic Park, Richard Attenborough embodied Christmas magic and mystery as Kriss Kringle in the 1994 remake of Miracle on 34th Street. He reprised his role as John Hammond in Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and made guest appearances in Hamlet (1996), Elizabeth (1998), Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, and The Narrator (2002). Attenborough was also an avid director, and his list of work includes Shadowlands (1993), In Love and War (1996), Grey Owl (1999), and Closing The Ring (2007). In 2008, he teamed up with his friend Diana Hawkins to write his autobiography Entirely Up To You, Darling. In that same year, he suffered a severe stroke from which he never completely recovered. Richard Attenborough passed away on August 24th, 2014 at age 90.
5.Ariana Richards / Alexis “Lex” Murphy - THEN
Along with a selection of her fellow cast members, Ariana Richards also reprised her role (as Lex Murphy) in The Lost World. A selection of her involvement in film includes Angus (1995), Tremors 3: Back to Perfection (2001), and 77 (2007). She also made guest appearances in Boy Meets World, Empty Nest, and The Golden Girls. However, Richards has primarily focused on her career as an artist.
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She earned a B.S. Degree in Fine Arts and Drama with distinction from Skidmore College, and continued her education at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Many of her paintings are exhibited at the Lee Youngman Galleries, and she was awarded first prize in the National Professional Oil Painting Competition in 2005. She made a brief return to acting when she starred in the 2013 film Battledogs.
4. Wayne Knight / Dennis Nedry
Wayne Knight may not be a lot of things, but he is without a doubt versatile. Along with appearing in well known films like To Die For (1995), Space Jam (1996), and Rat Race (2001), he lent his voice to a host of animated features including Hercules (1997), The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars (1998), Tarzan, Toy Story 2 (1999), and Kung Fu Panda (2008). Despite these credentials, Knight will always be remembered for his role as bizarre mailman Newman in the hit sitcom Seinfeld from 1991 until the show’s ending in 1998. He also had recurring roles in 3rd Rock from the Sun, Woke Up Dead, and Hot in Cleveland.
3. Samuel L. Jackson / Ray Arnold
Samuel L. Jackson is arguably the most well known and successful actor on this list. In 1994, he was cast as eloquent killer Jules Winnfield in the Quentin Tarantino cult classic Pulp Fiction, a role that earned him his first Academy Award. Since then, he has appeared in over one hundred critically and commercially successful films including but certainly not limited to Die Hard With a Vengeance (1995), Jackie Brown (1997), Unbreakable, Shaft (2000), The 51st State (2001), The Star Wars prequel trilogy (1999-2005), Black Snake Moan, Snakes on a Plane (2006), Thor (2011), Django Unchained (2012), and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). His voice has also been featured in television shows, animated films, and video games such as The Incredibles, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (2004), Afro Samurai (2007), and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008). This impressive resume has made Jackson the second highest box office star of all time, with an average gross of $68.2 million per film.
2. Martin Ferrero / Donald Gennaro
Following Jurassic Park, Martin Ferrero appeared in the films Get Shorty, Heat, (1995), Gods and Monsters (1998), and The Tailer of Panama (2001). His television appearances include Nash Bridges, The Practice, The X-Files, and Ali: An American Hero. In 2011, he reprised his role as cowardly and ultimately ill fated lawyer Donald Gennaro in a Jurassic Park parody for the comedy website collegehumour.com. Since 2005, Ferrero has been a member the Antaeus Company, a classical theater ensemble.
1. Bob Peck / Robert Muldoon
Immediately following Jurassic Park, Bob Peck appeared in an episode of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. In 1994, he portrayed Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi in the biographical television film Verdi. He was then featured in various films and shows such as Hard Times (1994), Mielisairas, Surviving Picasso, Smilla’s Sense of Snow (1996), FairyTale: A True Story, The Opium War, (1997), and The Scold’s Bridle (1998). In April 1999, after a five-year battle with an undisclosed type of cancer, Peck tragically passed away at only fifty-three years old. The 2000 stop-motion animated film The Miracle Maker, in which his voice was used posthumously, was dedicated to his memory.
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