Jurassic World: Dominion stomps into theaters June 10th, and the original trio are back, including Jeff Goldblum's Dr. Ian Malcolm. Goldblum isn't typically seen as an A-list star at the level of Brad Pitt or George Clooney, but he's reached about the same level of success. Having starred in the highest-grossing films of 1993 and 1996 — along with numerous other blockbusters — the actor's clout has steadily risen ever since debuting with a bit role in the Charles Bronson actioner Death Wish (1974).
From his iconic role in The Fly and as Duke in Isle of Dogs, to Jack Bellicec in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), the actor has had many unforgettable roles over the years. Redditors only adamantly champion a few, though, and these are their favorites.
The Grandmaster - Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
The MCU has an ever-increasing stable of memorable characters, and Goldblum's The Grandmaster has managed to be a fan favorite despite having only starred in (thus far) the formula-changing Thor: Ragnarok and an episode of What If...?.
Redditor Zombiegamer723 cited his performance in the former: "The Grandmaster in Thor: Ragnarok." They then make a cheeky comment about how close the role was to Goldblum's genuine public persona: "Actually, that wasn't a role--that was just him on a Tuesday and the cameras happened to be rolling." The Redditor has a point, Goldblum's personality is very unique, and what's seen in press interviews seems to often have a way of charmingly working its way into his performances.
Ian Malcolm - Jurassic Park (1993)
If there's an iconic Jeff Goldblum performance, it's Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park (1993), The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997), Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, and, soon, Jurassic World: Dominion (2022). Yet, even with the sequels, it's his supporting role in the original that has made the character endearing.
Redditor MacchuWA started a whole thread to describe how Goldblum's character often speaks with intermittent long pauses, and how that actually benefits the character's authenticity: "Despite the constant parodies, Jeff Goldblum's Ian Malcolm delivery in Jurassic Park is perfectly normal. It's every other movie character, who speaks without Ums, Ahs, pauses, or repetition, who's weird."
Alistair Hennessey - The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou (2004)
Wes Anderson's quotable The Life Aquatic With Steve Zissou is an ensemble piece, yet the narrative naturally revolves around Bill Murray's Steve Zissou. But Goldblum had a couple of great scenes as Alistair Hennessey, Zissou's quirky nemesis.
SweatyToothed described Goldblum's balance of self-awareness, comedy, and playing the straight man:
"His role in The Life Aquatic was great for this - he was very funny but also almost like he was playing his own (comedic) straight man. The moment where he strikes the dog with a newspaper...it's one of the best awkward comedy moments ever in my opinion. It seemed so out of place and yet... With any other actor, you know that it would only be either a slapstick moment or a wtf moment, not both at the same time."
Chef Goldblum - Tim And Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012)
Goldblum's scene in Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie starts with a bizarre "Hi! Hi. Hi! I'm Chef Goldblum ...." as the camera cuts to various angles of his face over and over.
The actor leans into the movie's weird factor, starting with the energy of his enthused self-introduction and never turning it down. While it's a minor role, Chef Goldblum is probably the best part of the whole movie. Or, as a113er put it: "Hi. Hi Hi. I'm Chef Goldblum. I think I preferred the random ads and non-sequiturs than the main story of the film, though."
David Jason - Deep Cover (1992)
Directed by Bill Duke (who starred in Predator and Commando), Deep Cover follows Laurence Fishburne's undercover L.A. cop charged with bringing down a highly-intelligent lawyer/drug dealer (Goldblum, in an against-type role).
LonerLifePath7 started a thread to spread awareness of the movie: "Laurence (then known as Larry) Fishburne is amazing in his first real lead role, a straight-edge officer from Cleveland asked to go undercover in Los Angeles and fight the flow of cocaine. He shares a lot of scenes and strong chemistry with Jeff Goldblum, electric and even a bit scary as his lawyer character evolves in the film." There's something unsettling about Goldblum's easy-going nature in Deep Cover. It's obvious when he's put off by the violence of his business, but it's equally apparent that he's barreling towards both accepting it and dishing it out himself.
Seth Brundle - The Fly (1986)
Many Redditors had something positive to say about David Cronenberg's terrifying masterpiece, The Fly, like a now-deleted user, who wrote: "One of my favorites. It's not just a horror, but a really emotional movie about losing a loved one."
Gf120581 then brought a wonderful point to the table: the movie's true message. In their words, "There's a reason why a lot of critics saw it as a metaphor for the '80s AIDS epidemic...Goldblum's performance as his character degenerates into a monster is very much along the lines of a terminally ill patient coming to terms with their condition." Furthermore, Goldblum's chemistry with Geena Davis is so poignant that it led to a real-life marriage, the practical effects are some of the best ever committed to celluloid, and the instantly recognizable score pulls on the heartstrings, just like the movie itself.
David Levinson - Independence Day
MIT graduate and satellite technician David Levinson was so perfectly in Goldblum's wheelhouse that it's difficult to imagine another actor in the role if Independence Day were filmed today. Furthermore, there's little doubt that Will Smith and Goldblum had chemistry on set because their shared scenes are magnetic. Ranger0202 quoted some of Levinson's dialogue exchange with Smith's Captain Steven Hiller: "'You really think you can fly that thing?" 'You really think you can do all that bulls*** you just said?' Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum were a perfect pairing."
The two actors, one relatively fresh off of Jurassic Park and the other rocketing to superstardom, share the screen effectively, allowing their performances to play off of one another as opposed to any attempts at upstaging. Snowbattt (the OP) added another fun detail: "According to IMDb, a lot of their dialogue was improvised. I'm not surprised. The chemistry between those two was really good."
Michael - The Big Chill (1983)
StuffHobbes started a thread to discuss their feelings on Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill, which the Redditor finds to be a bit overrated. However, they had respect for some of the production elements, including Goldblum's performance: "With a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan, and the acting chops of Jeff Goldblum, Glenn Close, and Kevin Kline, the script is effortlessly transported from page to screen. The often-irreverent comedy and gallows humor never fully oversteps the underlying melancholy that is the cause for their reunion...."
The Redditor wrote more as they summarized the complex appeal of Kasdan's film, but the point about the script's seemingly effortless journey to the screen is poignant. Not all of The Big Chill has aged well or even feels relevant to those born after the early 1970s, but there are still some universal appeals in the narrative: friends break apart in their journeys, but sometimes life finds a way to bring them back together.