Editing Jurassic Park (film) (section)

===Casting===
Because much of the film's budget was going toward its dinosaur effects, Spielberg sought to cast relatively unknown actors, saying further: "Basically, I wanted good, solid actors who weren't going to charge outrageous prices. I didn't want to spend three to five million dollars apiece on actors".{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=59–60}} [[Kurt Russell]] and [[Richard Dreyfuss]] were considered for the role of Alan Grant, but were deemed too expensive.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-14 |title=Some Of The Greatest Actors Of All Time Turned Down Jurassic Park |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/895351/some-of-the-greatest-actors-of-all-time-turned-down-jurassic-park/ |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=/Film |language=en-US}}</ref> [[William Hurt]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/90985449/ |title=Answers to all that jazz about 'Jurassic' |date=June 19, 1993 |website=[[The San Bernardino Sun]] |access-date=June 24, 2016 |url-access=subscription |archive-date=August 15, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815115253/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/90985449/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Harrison Ford]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/indiana-jones-sequel-jurassic-park-harrison-ford-steven-spielberg-raiders-of-the-lost-ark-video/ |title=Harrison Ford on an 'Indy' sequel, turning down 'Jurassic Park' |last=Clark |first=Noelene |date=September 16, 2011 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |access-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-date=June 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160622233111/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/indiana-jones-sequel-jurassic-park-harrison-ford-steven-spielberg-raiders-of-the-lost-ark-video/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Tim Robbins]] turned down the role, which eventually went to [[Sam Neill]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vries |first=Hilary |date=1993-06-13 |title=Breakthrough? Who, Me?: Actor Sam Neill pushes into the mainstream with major roles in 'Jurassic Park' and 'The Piano,' but he says it's the long haul that really counts |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-06-13-ca-2614-story.html |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Laura Dern]] was cast as Ellie Sattler,{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=61, 74}} after [[Robin Wright]] and [[Juliette Binoche]] turned down offers to play the character.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19970713&id=U7AsAAAAIBAJ&pg=6710,4812775 |title=Robin Wright Penn Writes Off Blockbuster Roles |date=July 13, 1997 |website=[[Star-News]] |access-date=June 24, 2016 |archive-date=May 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517224743/https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19970713&id=U7AsAAAAIBAJ&pg=6710%2C4812775 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine | url=https://ew.com/article/2016/05/15/juliette-binoche-steven-spielberg-martin-scorsese/ | title=Juliette Binoche: Martin Scorsese has 'feminine side... He doesn't explore' in his movies | magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] }}</ref> [[Stacy Haiduk]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Stacy Haiduk Describes Meeting Steven Spielberg And Nearly Being Cast In The First "Jurassic Park" | website=[[YouTube]] | date=November 10, 2019 |url=https://youtube.com/watch?v=97q4oPlzvNQ}}</ref> [[Gwyneth Paltrow]], and [[Helen Hunt]] had also auditioned for the role.<ref>{{cite web|url = https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jurassic-park-laura-dern_n_3001752/|title = The Huge Role They Almost Got|date = April 2, 2013|access-date = October 13, 2021|archive-date = October 30, 2021|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20211030090414/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/jurassic-park-laura-dern_n_3001752|url-status = live}}</ref>

Casting director Janet Hirshenson felt that [[Jeff Goldblum]] was right to play Ian Malcolm after reading the novel, although [[Jim Carrey]] also auditioned for the role.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-05 |title=Jurassic Park at 30: Jim Carrey Auditioned for Malcolm & More Casting Secrets Revealed |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfy-wire/jurassic-park-casting-director-30th-anniversary-interview |access-date=2023-06-14 |website=SYFY Official Site |language=en-US}}</ref> According to Hirshenson, Carrey "was terrific, too, but I think pretty quickly we all loved the idea of Jeff".<ref name="EW2013">{{cite magazine|last1=Stack|first1=Tim|last2=Staskiewicz|first2=Keith|date=April 4, 2013|title=Welcome to ''Jurassic Park'': An oral history|url=https://ew.com/movies/2013/04/04/jurassic-park-oral-history/|url-status=live|access-date=June 24, 2016|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|archive-date=June 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624230653/https://ew.com/movies/2013/04/04/jurassic-park-oral-history/}}</ref> [[Richard Attenborough]] was cast as John Hammond, but was initially hesitant to join the project, which marked his first acting role in 14 years. He eventually signed on at the insistence of Spielberg, who told him, "I can't see anyone else playing it but you".<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Bob |title=His Fame is Likelier to Rest on 'Jurassic Park' than 'Gandhi' |url=https://greensboro.com/his-fame-is-likelier-to-rest-on-jurassic-park-than-gandhi/article_1632f9ac-a633-51a8-8677-ce7ee89aa48f.html |access-date=June 24, 2024 |work=Greensboro News and Record |agency=Associated Press |date=January 27, 1994}}</ref> Neill, Dern, Goldblum, and Attenborough were cast late in pre-production, with only a few weeks to prepare for their roles.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=70}} According to Neill, the process "all happened real quick. I hadn't read the book, knew nothing about it, hadn't heard anything about it, and in a matter of weeks I'm working with Spielberg".<ref name=EW2013/> The start of filming was delayed a month to accommodate Neill's schedule.{{sfn|Shay & Duncan|1993|p=71}}

[[Ariana Richards]], who plays Lex Murphy, said: "I was called into a casting office, and they just wanted me to scream. I heard later on that Steven had watched a few girls on tape that day, and I was the only one who ended up waking his sleeping wife on the couch, and she came running through the hallway to see if the kids were all right".<ref name=EW2013/> [[Christina Ricci]] also auditioned to play Lex.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schuldt |first=Scott |date=May 26, 1995 |title=Star Lives Up to Her Precocious Image |url=http://newsok.com/article/2503760 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021014627/https://oklahoman.com/article/2503760/star-lives-up-to-her-precocious-image |archive-date=October 21, 2020 |access-date=June 24, 2016 |work=[[The Oklahoman]]}}</ref> [[Joseph Mazzello]] had [[Screen test|screen-tested]] for a role in ''Hook'', but was deemed too young. Spielberg promised him they would work together on a future film, subsequently casting him for the role of Tim.<ref name=EW2013/>

Hirshenson, who previously cast [[Whoopi Goldberg]] in the 1990 film ''[[Ghost (1990 film)|Ghost]]'', had [[Samuel L. Jackson]] audition as Ray Arnold after Goldberg noted his performance in the 1991 film ''[[Jungle Fever]]''. Spielberg and Hirshenson were instantly impressed with Jackson and gave him the role.{{sfn|Mottram|2021|p=60}} Spielberg chose [[Wayne Knight]] to play Dennis Nedry after seeing him in the 1992 film ''[[Basic Instinct]]''.<ref name=BiggestMovie/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.avclub.com/article/wayne-knight-talks-about-emthe-exesem-newman-and-w-82918 |title=Wayne Knight talks about The Exes, Newman, and working in the mud for Jurassic Park |last=Harris |first=Will |date=July 25, 2012 |work=The A.V. Club |access-date=June 28, 2016 |archive-date=May 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160513023518/http://www.avclub.com/article/wayne-knight-talks-about-emthe-exesem-newman-and-w-82918 |url-status=live}}</ref> [[BD Wong]] was cast as Dr. Henry Wu, both of Asian descent. He was disappointed by how small the role turned out to be compared with the novel,<ref>{{cite web |last=Chase |first=Stephanie |title=Jurassic Park star says he was 'bitter' about the movie for years |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a37386823/jurassic-park-bd-wong-bitter-henry-wu/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=February 9, 2025 |date=August 24, 2021}}</ref> believing the character's reduced screentime to be the result of "racial exclusion".<ref name=Wong15/> [[Cameron Thor]] had worked with Spielberg on ''Hook'', and initially auditioned to play Malcolm, before being cast as Dodgson.<ref name=empire>{{cite web |url=http://www.nickdesemlyen.com/pdf/JurassicPark.pdf |title=Jurassic Park 20th Anniversary: When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth |last=de Semlyen |first=Nick |date=September 2013 |work=Empire |page=3 |archive-date=February 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221133000/http://nickdesemlyen.com/pdf/JurassicPark.pdf |url-status=live}}</ref> Molen took on the small role of Dr. Harding.{{sfn|Mottram|2021|p=61}} In the novel, [[Richard Kiley]] provides the voice of the guide for the park's tour vehicles. For the film, Kiley was cast in the same role.{{sfn|Mottram|2021|p=61, 67}}