5 Actors Who Were Almost In The Jurassic Park Movies

When it comes to the “Jurassic Park” and “Jurassic World” movies, the stars are unquestionably the prehistoric beasties. Every dinosaur in the original “Jurassic Park” trilogy has its share of fans, even initially divisive creatures like the Spinosaurus. Meanwhile, the modern “Jurassic World” entries typically end with big showdowns between the T-Rex and whatever new monstrosity is causing terror. If you’re coming into one of these movies, you’re showing up for the prehistoric chaos.

However, that doesn’t mean the seven “Jurassic Park” and “World” movies have eschewed human characters. On the contrary, as flesh-and-blood people like Dr. Owen Grady (Chris Pratt), Ellie Sattler (Laura Dern), Claire Dearing (Bryce Dallas Howard), and others have remained fixtures of this saga. The prominence of these figures means there’s always been tremendous effort put into casting, resulting in folks like Jeff Goldblum and James Cromwell coming on board. However, there have also been a number of actors that came close to appearing in the “Jurassic Park” franchise, but never ended up doing so.

These fascinating instances reflect tantalizing “what if?” scenarios regarding what some of the most lucrative franchise entries could’ve looked like. From global superstars to then-budding leading men, the “Jurassic Park” franchise has had close brushes with an assortment of fascinating actors. Even with the dinosaurs running these movies, these five performers still could’ve left their own mighty footprint on this fictional universe.

Glen Powell was a budding reality TV star before “Top Gun: Maverick,” and that 2022 blockbuster would change everything for the actor. Today, he is one of the most in-demand names in Hollywood, and has since gone on to headline hits like “Anyone But You” and “Twisters.” Now a certified movie star, everything about Glen Powell has become obsessed over. 

Even with Powell fever in full effect, though, the “Jurassic World” franchise couldn’t get the actor to sign on for “Jurassic World Rebirth” as lead character Dr. Henry Loomis, who would eventually be played by Jonathan Bailey. In a 2024 Hollywood Reporter interview, Powell recalled how, despite enjoying the “Rebirth” script, he felt another actor could play the part better. 

But Powell passing on encountering dinosaurs isn’t too surprising when looking at his more recent credits. Despite a “Top Gun” legacy sequel catapulting Powell to stardom, the actor has opted to star in more original titles. Save for “Twisters” and Edgar Wright’s 2025 “The Running Man” adaptation, Powell has focused on endeavors like “Hit Man,” “Anyone But You,” and the forthcoming J.J. Abrams directorial effort “The Great Beyond.” This likely meant that the sixth “Jurassic Park” sequel was probably nowhere near Powell’s current wheelhouse. Of course, his absence didn’t hurt “Rebirth’s” box office haul.

Long before taking up the Spider-Man mantle, Tom Holland was an acclaimed child actor on stage and screen. One of his earliest film roles was as Lucas Bennett in J.A. Bayona’s disaster movie drama “The Impossible.” Holland handled a great deal of weighty material in his portrayal of a child grappling with being separated from his family after a tsunami.

“The Impossible” forged a strong working relationship between Holland and Bayona, as the actor returned to stand-in on set for the titular beast of Bayona’s “A Monster Calls.” After two movies together, it’s unsurprising that Bayona hoped to feature Holland in “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” Holland divulged that the filmmaker had reached out about a “Fallen Kingdom” role, but that it wasn’t possible due to his busy schedule.

Given the dearth of “Fallen Kingdom” characters in Holland’s age range, it’s likely he was eyed to play Justice Smith’s Franklin Webb. This plucky technician, who screams in terror at the sight of any dinosaur, was a fine showcase for Smith’s talents. Holland, meanwhile, spent the late 2010s web-crawling across various lucrative MCU adventures, a far cry from his childhood days of headlining “The Impossible” under Bayona’s direction.

Can you imagine anyone other than Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm? The actor brought so much to the table, including an iconic “Jurassic Park” moment that Goldblum totally improvised. Appearing in four of the seven “Jurassic” installments, Goldblum is as integral to this franchise as the T-Rex. However, he wasn’t always the only person considered for Dr. Ian Malcolm. Originally, Jim Carrey was also in contention to play the “rock star” mathematician.

In the early ’90s, when “Jurassic Park” was getting off the ground, Carrey had yet to headline comedies such as “The Mask” and “Dumb and Dumber” that would cement him as an A-list star. Instead, he was a fleeting supporting player and “In Living Color” scene-stealer. Even without a dense filmography to point to, Carrey’s audition for Malcolm impressed the producers and casting agents working on “Jurassic Park.” 

However, once the team latched onto Jeff Goldblum, the deal was sealed. It’s unlikely that Carrey’s more over-the-top comedic sensibilities would’ve gelled with the dry, observational quips Malcolm is famous for. The casting decision ultimately worked for all involved, as Goldblum became a beloved “Jurassic Park” alum, while Carrey pursued other acting opportunities that resulted in a line of excellent movies.

Malayalam cinema legend M.R. Gopakumar has a vast array of roles under his belt, including his acclaimed turn as Thommy in “Vidheyan.” His filmography almost included an appearance in a “Jurassic Park” installment helmed by Steven Spielberg. As the filmmaker was getting the ball rolling on 1997’s “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” it was announced that M.R. Gopakumar would play a supporting character in the sequel.

Apparently, his “Vidheyan” performance put the acting legend on Spielberg’s radar. M.R. Gopakumar was set to play Ajay Sidhu, an ally of Roland Tembo (Pete Postlethwaite) and one of many hired by InGen to bring back dinosaurs from Isla Sorna to San Diego. However, Gopakumar was denied a work visa necessary to get him to the Los Angeles shoot. Aid never came from “The Lost World’s” American production team, so the role was merely recast. 

Despite Gopakumar being initially cast and the character being named Ajay Sidhu, another South Asian actor wouldn’t get the role. Instead, Caucasian performer Harvey Jason was cast in Gopakumar’s place, with no change to the character’s name. Given “The Lost World’s” lastingly divisive reputation, this was truly a creative loss for the “Jurassic Park” followup rather tha n a career-ending turn for M.R. Gopakumar, who continues turning in revered performances to this day.

In recent years, Josh Brolin has become associated with beloved blockbusters like “Dune, “Deadpool 2,” and “Avengers: Infinity War,” the latter being what Brolin considers the most fun movie he’s ever filmed. It’s been an interesting destination for an actor whose 2000s exploits largely consisted of Oscar-friendly dramas like “No Country for Old Men” and “Milk.”

Brolin very nearly added another gargantuan movie to his resume in the 2010s with the first “Jurassic World.” In late 2013, word broke that Brolin was being eyed to anchor “Jurassic World” alongside names such as Bryce Dallas Howard and Jake Johnson. Subsequent reports of Chris Pratt signing on to the fourth “Jurassic” installment revealed that Brolin was initially eyeballed for male lead Owen Grady. It’s easy to see how the rough and tumble screen persona Brolin had cultivated would’ve fit naturally as a raptor trainer.

Brolin later revealed that he turned down the Owen Grady part because he couldn’t picture himself as the character after reading the script. His instincts proved right, and he was thrilled to see what his MCU co-star accomplished as Grady instead, while opening up Brolin’s own schedule for more fitting fare.