The death of Sam Neill this Monday, July 13, at 78 years oldbrought back to the foreground the story behind one of the most iconic characters in cinema. The New Zealand actor went down in history for his portrayal of paleontologist Alan Grant in Jurassic Parkalthough he was very close to not being part of the film.
Before choosing him, the director Steven Spielberg He considered other Hollywood stars and received more than one rejection. One of them, as he admitted years later, left him completely «destroyed,» although it ended up changing the fate of the film.
Sam Neill was not the first choice for Jurassic Park: Spielberg’s confession
In an interview for the Happy, Sad, Confused podcast, Spielberg revealed that his first choice to play the famous paleontologist had been Harrison Ford. The director offered the role to the protagonist of Indiana Jones and Star Wars, but the actor rejected the proposal.
«He may not remember it, but I assure you I do,» Spielberg recalled of that conversation with American entertainment host Josh Horowitz. Far from being bothered by the refusal, he confessed that the impact was much greater. «I wasn’t angry. I was devastated,» he assured.
Over time, however, that rejection ended up being an unexpected turn in the film’s favor. «But Sam Neill was available and he was amazing.»said the filmmaker, convinced that the New Zealand actor was the perfect choice to play Alan Grant.
The character, a paleontologist specialized in dinosaurs who ends up becoming one of the heroes of the story, marked the career of Sam Neill and became one of the most remembered faces of the franchise. His performance was key to the success of Jurassic Park and, over the years, it became one of the most emblematic performances of the saga.
The other actors who rejected «Jurassic Park»
Harrison Ford wasn’t the only one who missed the opportunity to star in the 1993 film. One of the names that was also on the list was Kurt Russell. According to reports, the actor received an offer of two million dollars to join the project, but preferred to star in Stargate, a film for which he would have earned seven million dollars.
Another candidate was Richard Dreyfuss. According to biographer Joseph McBride, author of Steven Spielberg: A Biography, the actor was one of two finalists to take the role of Dr. Alan Grant before the production decided on Sam Neill.
William Hurt He was also very close to becoming the protagonist of Jurassic Park. In fact, he was one of Spielberg’s favorites to play the paleontologist. However, the actor rejected the proposal without even reading the script. In the book The Making of Jurassic Park, Hurt explained that the project did not spark his interest and he opted to star in the romantic comedy Mr. Wonderful, directed by Anthony Minghella.
Finally, after a series of refusals and with just a few weeks to spare before filming began, Spielberg chose Sam Neill. The decision ended up being one of the most successful of the film, since his interpretation of Dr. Alan Grant became one of the most iconic in the history of cinema and a fundamental pillar of the success of the saga.
