Jeff Goldblum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jeff Goldblum
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Goldblum in 2019
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Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum
October 22, 1952 |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1974–present |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Instruments |
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| Years active | 2001; 2018–present |
| Labels | Decca Records |
| Associated acts | Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra |
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum (born October 22, 1952) is an American actor and musician. He is famous for starring in many popular movies. These include Jurassic Park (1993) and Independence Day (1996). He also appeared in their sequels.
Goldblum started acting in films in 1974 with Death Wish. He had small roles in movies like Nashville (1975) and Annie Hall (1977). He became more well-known for his parts in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and The Fly (1986).
He is especially known for his roles in big movie series. He played Ian Malcolm in the Jurassic Park films. He was David Levinson in the Independence Day movies. He also played Grandmaster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films like Thor: Ragnarok (2017). More recently, he is the Wizard of Oz in Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).
Goldblum often works with director Wes Anderson. He has been in Anderson's films such as The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and Asteroid City (2023). He has also acted in TV shows like Will & Grace and Friends. He hosted his own show, The World According to Jeff Goldblum (2019–2022). Besides acting, he is a jazz pianist. His band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, released their first album in 2018.
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Early Life and Beginnings
Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum was born on October 22, 1952. His family lived in West Homestead, Pennsylvania, near Pittsburgh. His mother, Shirley Jane Goldblum, was a radio broadcaster. She later ran a business selling kitchen equipment. His father, Harold Leonard Goldblum, was a physician and a major in the U.S. Army during World War II.
His family came from the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires. They had roots in places now known as Belarus and Ukraine. Jeff has a sister, Pamela, and an older brother, Lee. Another brother, Rick, passed away in 1971 at age 23. Goldblum says Rick's love for jazz music inspired him. He also feels Rick's early death made him more focused in life.
His parents were interested in show business. His father almost became an actor before studying medicine. When Jeff was 17, he moved to New York City to become an actor. He studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He made his first appearance on Broadway in the musical Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Acting Career Highlights
Jeff Goldblum's first film role was in Death Wish in 1974. He had a small part in Annie Hall (1977). He played comedian Ernie Kovacs in a 1984 TV movie about Kovacs' life.
He has played leading roles in many movies. These include The Fly (1986), where he played a scientist who turns into a fly. Other main roles were in Jurassic Park (1993) and The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). In these films, he played the smart and quirky Dr. Ian Malcolm.
Goldblum also had important supporting roles. He was in Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) and Independence Day (1996). He continued to work with director Wes Anderson in films like The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004) and The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014).
For many years in the 1990s, Goldblum was the voice for Apple commercials. He also lent his voice to Toyota commercials. He taught acting at Playhouse West in North Hollywood. With actors from this group, he made a short film called Little Surprises. It was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996.
He appeared on Sesame Street in 1990 as a character named Minneapolis. He also had guest roles in TV shows like Friends and Portlandia. From 2009 to 2010, he played Detective Zack Nichols on Law & Order: Criminal Intent.
In 2014, his jazz band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, started performing weekly. In 2016, he returned as David Levinson in Independence Day: Resurgence. He played The Grandmaster in the Marvel movie Thor: Ragnarok (2017). He also came back as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018) and Jurassic World Dominion (2022).
In 2018, he signed with Decca Records to record a studio album. His debut album, The Capitol Studios Sessions, was released in November 2018. His band also played at Glastonbury. They released more albums, including I Shouldn't Be Telling You This (2019) and Plays Well with Others (2023).
In 2018, a large statue of Goldblum was put up near London's Tower Bridge. This was to celebrate 25 years since Jurassic Park came out. In 2019, Disney announced his show The World According to Jeff Goldblum. It started on the Disney+ streaming service. In 2022, it was announced that Goldblum would play the Wizard in the movie versions of the musical Wicked.
Personal Life
Jeff Goldblum has been married three times. From 1980 to 1985, he was married to Patricia Gaul. They appeared together in the movie Silverado. From 1987 to 1991, he was married to Geena Davis. They co-starred in movies like The Fly and Earth Girls Are Easy.
Since 2014, Goldblum has been married to Emilie Livingston. She is a Canadian Olympic rhythmic gymnast. They have two sons, born in 2015 and 2017.
Awards and Recognition
Jeff Goldblum has won and been nominated for several awards for his acting.
- In 1986, he won a Saturn Award for Best Actor for his role in The Fly.
- In 1996, his short film Little Surprises, which he directed, was nominated for an Academy Award.
- In 2004, he won a Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble for The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.
- In 2005, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for his guest role in Will & Grace.
- In 2014, he was part of the cast of The Grand Budapest Hotel. The cast won several awards for Best Ensemble, including from the Detroit Film Critics Society.
- In 2020 and 2022, his show The World According to Jeff Goldblum was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
- In 2022, he won multiple awards for his voice acting in the podcast Dark Dice, including Best Actor.
Images for kids
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Goldblum in 2019
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Goldblum in 1985
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Goldblum at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
See also
In Spanish: Jeff Goldblum para niños
