The franchise could have been totally different had Jim Carrey been a part of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park. The ever-talented actor initially garnered the spotlight with his work in the 1990 TV series, In Living Color. He had been active in the industry for years, majorly portraying supporting roles, before rising to prominence in 1994 with a string of hit films, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb and Dumber.
However, Carrey would have gained the limelight much earlier than 1994 had he been cast as Ian Malcolm, a role that eventually went to Jeff Goldblum.
Jim Carrey Got Nearly Cast as Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park
Janet Hirshenson, the casting director for 1993’s hit movie, Jurassic Park, gave an insight on how they came up with an ensemble cast, which highly contributed to the success of the blockbuster film.
Talking about the cast, Hirshenson told SYFY Wire that Jim Carrey, renowned for his slapstick comedy, was one of the strong contenders for Ian Malcolm.
For the unversed, the movie casting followed a unique procedure where the actors submitted a videotape for auditioning rather than getting a one-on-one opportunity to connect with the film director, Steven Spielberg.
She shared,
“I auditioned a lot of people. Sort of a wide range and a lot of actors that normally wouldn’t come in for just the casting director. Usually, they go right to the director. But being what it was, people came in and just went on tape.”
She added,
“We auditioned Jim Carrey for Malcolm and then Goldblum came in and, of course, blew me away. He’s Goldblum, nobody’s like him. I think Steven pretty quickly also [knew] that was the one.”
From her statement, it was pretty clear that Goldblum was the perfect one for the role. Not only did he completely win over the casting director, but his audition even impressed the renowned filmmaker. While Goldblum was the final choice for the role, Carrey spared no efforts to showcase his talent in the audition.
Jurassic Park Casting Director Delves into Jim Carrey’s Audition!
Dr. Ian Malcolm’s role is significant in the Jurassic Park narrative as the character embodies the primary voice of caution in the movie. While other scientists were concerned about technological advancements, Malcolm was reflecting on the practical outcome of cloning dinosaurs.
Yet again, the character provided comic relief in the sci-fi action movie, balancing the horror and chaos that the gigantic creatures bring onscreen.
Since Carrey is known for his energetic comedy roles, his portrayal of Malcolm would have drastically changed how we remember it today. Even the casting director revealed that he was serious about working on the project.
In the same interview, she shared,
“He auditioned for a very long time. He was really into it. I think he really wanted the role. He was good, it was a totally different way to go. I remember he came in very enthusiastically.”
However, they were already set on going ahead with Goldblum by that time. She recalled that the actor went for “The Jim Carrey approach.”
She continued,
“So yeah, it would have been a little more comedic. Jeff was comedic in his dry, Jeff Goldblum-y sort of way, anyway, but yeah, it becomes a different way to go. But by that time, I think we were pretty much geared into Jeff Goldblum.”
The Fly actor rocked the portrayal in the franchise, bringing the perfect balance to the doctor’s sarcastic jokes and eccentric chaos expert traits. His character surely became one of the fan favorites, contributing to the movie’s success, which spawned a multi-media franchise.
Jurassic Park is streaming on Peacock.
