Would Jeff Goldblum Be Jeff Goldblum If It Wasn’t For Ian Malcolm?

When Jurassic Park debuted in theaters 25 years ago, Jeff Goldblum already had titles like The Big Chill, The Fly, and Earth Girls Are Easy under his belt. Casting director Janet Hirshenson had thought of Goldblum for the part of Dr. Ian Malcolm almost immediately after reading Michael Crichton’s novel – and she was clearly onto something. Since he put on that black leather jacket and those tinted glasses and cackled his way through a helicopter ride, Goldblum and Malcolm have become nearly indistinguishable. Goldblum’s infectious nature may have been obvious to a few prior to Jurassic Park, but playing this role is what cemented his icon status. Without Ian Malcolm, the beloved, bizarre cult figure we worship might not exist. 

Let’s get one thing out of the way: Jeff Goldblum would certainly still be a celebrity had he never played Ian Malcolm. His previous work speaks to that. But what we’re talking about is his position in the cultural zeitgeist, the mythos that surrounds him and has made him an eccentric, enduring pop culture phenomenon. There’s no one quite like this renaissance man, this disarmingly charming (now silver) fox who makes noises most humans can only dream of. It’s easy to wonder who came first – Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum or Dr. Ian Malcolm? I’d wager that Ian Malcolm brought out the most Goldblumian side of the man, pushing him to put his wonderful weirdness on display and never look back, even 25 years later.

The first time we ever encounter Malcolm is on that fateful helicopter, as he points at Drs. Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler and purrs, “so you two, hm, hm, dig up, dig up dinosaurs?” From that question and the mixture of laughter and noises that follows, it’s clear we’re witnessing the birth of a legend, someone so self-assured in their oddities that it’s enough to leave you totally bewildered. There’s nary a character Goldblum has played quite as connected to his public persona than Ian Malcolm, with the exception of the Grandmaster, of course, which is essentially just a slightly sinister Jeff Goldblum in makeup.

So what is it about Dr. Malcolm that holds up so well? How has he informed Goldblum’s charisma in the two decades and change that have passed since Jurassic Park roared into theaters? Well, for one, Jurassic Park is one of the best movies ever made, ensuring that new audiences see it every year and fall for this lover of chaos theory. Goldblum has embraced the fact that, yes, Ian Malcolm finds a way, no matter how many years pass and how many roles he plays. He’s not one of those curmudgeonly old stars desperate to shed their most iconic role, no, he has manifested Ian Malcolm in every arena of his life, from putting women under his spell with the touch of a hand to donning leather jackets wherever he goes.

Jeff Goldblum and Ian Malcolm are one, forever stuck in a delightful dance of enchanting outlandishness. Had he never laid open-shirted across that table and shamed John Hammond for his “rape of the natural world”, his Instagram might not be an active thirst trap, his interviews and press tours might not turn into viral sensations, and he definitely would never have declared that distinctive helicopter laugh as his favorite “line” in any movie he’s ever done. We’re so grateful Jeff Goldblum wasn’t too preoccupied with whether or not he could play Ian Malcolm, and just realized that he should. The natural world (and Jeff Goldblum as we know him) wouldn’t be the same without him.

Where to Stream Jurassic Park