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Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum (born October 22, 1952) is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and since then he has appeared in major box-office successes including Jurassic Park (two films), Independence Day, and The Fly. From 2009 to mid-2010 he starred as Detective Zach Nichols on the USA Network's crime drama series Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

Early life[]

Goldblum was born in the Pittsburgh suburb of West Homestead, Pennsylvania, the son of Shirley S. (née Temeles), a radio broadcaster who later ran a kitchen equipment and appliances sales firm, and Harold L. Goldblum, a medical doctor.[1][2] He has a sister, Pamela and an older brother, Lee. Another older brother, Rick, died at age 23. His family is Jewish and belonged to an Orthodox synagogue;[3][4] Goldblum's paternal grandfather, Josef Povartzik (who changed his surname to Goldblum), emigrated from Minsk, Russian Empire in 1911, and his maternal grandfather, Samuel Louis Temeles, from Złoczów, Austria–Hungary, in 1910.[2]

Goldblum's parents were interested in show business.[5] Goldblum moved to New York City at 17 to become an actor. Goldblum worked on the stage and studied acting at the renowned Neighborhood Playhouse under the guidance of acting coach Sanford Meisner. He made his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning musical Two Gentlemen of Verona. He is also an accomplished jazz pianist and declared that if he did not act, he would have become a professional musician. He made his film debut as a thug in the 1974 Charles Bronson film Death Wish. He briefly appeared as a protester in the TV movie Columbo A Case of Immunity (1975).

Career[]

File:Jeff Goldblum.jpg

Jeff Goldblum, 1985

In 1974, Goldblum appeared in Death Wish as Freak # 1. Later in his career, as "Lacey Party Guest" in Annie Hall (1977), Goldblum is seen saying into the telephone at a Hollywood party, "I forgot my mantra." Goldblum has had leading roles in films such as The Fly, Independence Day, The Lost World (1997), Earth Girls Are Easy, The Tall Guy, and Vibes (1988). Goldblum's strong supporting roles include those in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Big Chill (1983), Into the Night (1985), Jurassic Park (1993), and he also had strong supporting roles in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and the cult films The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984) and Igby Goes Down (2002).

For several years, Goldblum was the voice for most U.S. Apple commercials, including advertisements for the iMac and iBook. He also voices some U.S. Toyota commercials as well as Procter & Gamble's facial cream line. He has recently appeared on Irish TV in commercials for the National Lottery.

Goldblum taught acting at Playhouse West in North Hollywood with Robert Carnegie. It was with several actors from this acting company that he improvised and directed the live action short film Little Surprises, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996.

Goldblum got the role of Adam in the upcoming film Adam Resurrected, a film adaptation of the Yoram Kaniuk novel. Jeff is a German entertainer who becomes the ringleader to a group of Holocaust survivors in an asylum after World War II.

In September 2006, it was announced that Goldblum was one of the founding members of a new theater company in New York called The Fire Dept. According to press materials, "The Fire Dept is made up of established and emerging writers, directors, actors and designers who have come together to create and produce work that cannot be replicated inside a television box or on a movie screen...The work of The Fire Dept combines the rigor and structure of great narrative storytelling with the vitality of formal experimentation to immerse audiences in a total experience that leaves them awake, alive and transformed." The company will devote energy into developing new live theater works as well as interpreting old favorites.

His guest appearance was on Sesame Street in 1990 as Bob's long-lost brother Minneapolis (parody of Indiana Jones) where Big Bird's friend Snuffleupagus had "the golden cabbage of Snuffertiti" hidden in his cave. He has also appeared on Tom Goes to the Mayor, The Colbert Report, and Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!.

Goldblum replaced Chris Noth as a Senior Detective on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.[6] In the series, Goldblum plays the role of Detective Zach Nichols. In August 2010, media outlets reported that Goldblum had decided not to return to Criminal Intent due to persistent concerns about the program's future.[7][8]

Personal life[]

File:Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum 1990.jpg

Goldblum with former spouse Geena Davis in 1990

Goldblum has been married twice, to Patricia Gaul from 1980 to 1986, then to Geena Davis, his co-star in three films (including the comedy Earth Girls Are Easy and the science fiction/horror film The Fly) from November 1, 1987 to October 1990. He claims to have maintained a good friendship with Davis, saying she is a wonderful person and a phenomenal actress.[citation needed]

Filmography[]

Year Film Role Notes
1974 Death Wish Freak #1
California Split Lloyd Harris
1975 Nashville Tricycle Man
1976 Special Delivery Snake
St. Ives Hood #3
Next Stop, Greenwich Village Clyde Baxter aka Charlie Biletnikoff
1977 Annie Hall Lacey Party Guest
Between the Lines Max Arloft
The Sentinel Jack
1978 Thank God It's Friday Tony Di Marco
Invasion of the Body Snatchers Jack Bellicec
Remember My Name Mr. Nudd
1981 Threshold Aldo Gehring
1983 The Right Stuff Recruiter
The Big Chill Michael Gold
1984 The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension New Jersey
Terror in the Aisles Jack Bellicec Documentary
Archival Footage
1985 Transylvania 6-5000 Jack Harrison
Silverado ‘Slick’ Calvin Stanhope
Into the Night Ed Okin
1986 The Fly Seth Brundle Saturn Award for Best Actor
1987 Beyond Therapy Bruce
1988 Vibes Nick Deezy
Earth Girls Are Easy Mac
1989 The Tall Guy Dexter King
The Fly II Seth Brundle Uncredited
Archival Footage
1990 El Sueño del Mono Loco Dan Gillis
Mister Frost Mr. Frost
1991 The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish Pianist
1992 Shooting Elizabeth Howard Pigeon
The Player Himself
Fathers & Sons Max
Deep Cover David Jason Nominated – Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Male
1993 Jurassic Park Dr. Ian Malcolm Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor
1995 Hideaway Hatch
Nine Months Sean Fletcher
Powder Donald Ripley
1996 Independence Day David Levinson Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Actor
The Great White Hype Mitchell Kane
Mad Dog Time Mickey Holliday
Goosebumps: Escape from Horrorland Dracula Voice Only
Video Game
1997 The Lost World: Jurassic Park Dr. Ian Malcolm
1998 The Prince of Egypt Aaron Voice Only
Welcome to Hollywood Himself
Holy Man Ricky Hayman
2000 Auggie Rose John Nolan
Chain of Fools Avnet
One of the Hollywood Ten Herbert Biberman
2001 Cats & Dogs Professor Brody
Beyond Suspicion John Nolan
Perfume Jamie Also Executive Producer
2002 Run Ronnie Run! Himself Uncredited
Igby Goes Down D.H.
2003 Dallas 362 Bob
Spinning Boris George Gorton
War Stories Journalist
2004 Incident at Loch Ness Party Guest
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Allistair Hennessey Nominated – Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast
2006 Mini's First Time Mike Rudell
Fay Grim Agent Fullbright
Pittsburgh Himself Also Producer
Man of the Year Stewart
2009 Adam Resurrected Adam Stein
2010 The Switch Leonard
Morning Glory Jerry Barnes Post-Production

Theater[]

File:JeffGoldblumFrontMay05.jpg

Goldblum in May 2005 after a performance of The Pillowman

Broadway[]

  • The Pillowman (2005)
  • Two Gentlemen of Verona
  • The Play What I Wrote
  • The Moony Shapiro Songbook
  • The Exonerated
  • City Sugar
  • El Grande de Coca Cola

London and Broadway[]

  • The Prisoner of Second Avenue

London and Recklinghausen (Germany)[]

  • Speed-the-Plow

Television[]

  • Columbo: A Case of Immunity (1975)
  • Starsky and Hutch - Murder on Stage 17 (1977)
  • The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1980)
  • Tenspeed and Brown Shoe (1980)
  • Rehearsal for Murder (1982)
  • Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter (1984)
  • Who's The Boss? (1985)
  • The Ray Bradbury Theater - The Town Where No One Got Off (1986)
  • Life Story (BBC) (US Title: The Race for the Double Helix) (1987)
  • Captain Planet and the Planeteers (1990)
  • Framed (1990)
  • Lush Life (1993)
  • The Simpsons - A Fish Called Selma (1996)
  • The Story of Bean (1997)
  • Playmate Pajama Party (1999)
  • From Star Wars to Star Wars: The Story of Industrial Light & Magic (1999)
  • AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars (1999)
  • When Dinosaurs Ruled (2000)
  • Festival in Cannes (2001)
  • King of the Hill - Guest voice as Dr. Vayzosa (2002)
  • Friends - Guest as Leonard Hayes (2002)
  • Tom Goes to the Mayor (2004)
  • Will and Grace (2005)
  • Raines (2007)
  • Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! (2007)
  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent (since 2009)
  • Top Gear (2010, as star in a reasonably priced car)

Awards[]

  • 1983: Star of Tomorrow Award. Presented by the National Association of Theatre Owners.
  • 1987: Saturn Award for Best Actor in The Fly
  • 1996: Academy Award nomination for Live Action Short Film
  • 2005: Emmy Award nomination for a guest appearance on Will & Grace

References[]

  1. Curtis, Nick (2008-01-29). "What Jeff loves about London". This is London. Retrieved 2008-01-29. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Jeff Goldblum: Not Dead Yet"
  3. Applebaum, Stephen (2007-04-27). "Goldblum's spiritual journey". Sunday Times.au. Archived from the original on 2012-09-05. Retrieved 2007-04-27. 
  4. Elkin, Michael (2007-03-15). "The Odds of March". The Jewish Exponent. Retrieved 2008-01-29. 
  5. Knutzen, Eirik (2007-03-30). "TV Close-Up: Jeff Goldblum". Bend Weekly. Retrieved 2008-01-29. 
  6. "Jeff Goldblum Has 'Criminal Intent,'Chris Noth leaving 'Law & Order' series". Zap2it. Retrieved 2008-06-27. 
  7. Schneider, Michael (August 3, 2010). "Jeff Goldblum exits 'Law & Order'". Variety. Retrieved August 4, 2010. 
  8. "Jeff Goldblum to quit Criminal Intent". The Spy Report. August 4, 2010. Retrieved August 4, 2010. 

External links[]

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