The movie Jeff Goldblum compared to a spiritual awakening: “A religious experience”
If somebody came forward and revealed that Jeff Goldblum was some kind of divine being, then most people would probably go along with it. The wonderfully unhinged actor is a treasure trove of quotes, anecdotes, and hilarious moments, both on-screen and in real life. Despite his meme status, lest we forget that he is an extremely talented performer, having given the world the likes of Jurassic Park, The Big Chill, and The Fly.
Recently, Goldblum has been a regular feature of major blockbusters, such as Thor: Ragnarok and the Jurassic World series. Critically, his efforts have been hit or miss – see Jurassic World Dominion for proof – but he always does a great job, and there’s no denying that his films always draw a crowd.
In 2024, the Pennsylvania native appeared in another iconic role—the Wizard of Oz in John M Chu’s screen version of Wicked. Goldblum is part of a stacked cast that includes Peter Dinklage, Ethan Slater, and Michelle Yeoh, as well as the two leads, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Those latter names had a particularly profound impact on Goldblum, as he revealed to Yahoo. “There was something around them, an aura of nobility and graciousness and elegance that they were providing, given their own natural gifts,” he said. “The love that they had for this show and the care they took with us, it was a spiritual experience, a religious experience.”
He also labelled his colleagues “noble beings” and “ two of the greats of all time.” He was extremely happy with the decision to cast them, as he said they were, “perfect for these parts and together [with] this music, oh my gosh. And deep, deep, deep.”
British actor Erivo plays Elphaba, the green-skinned protagonist who comes to be seen as a villain by the inhabitants of Oz. Her career began in theatre at London’s West End, and she later moved to Broadway as part of the musical version of The Color Purple. Her breakout film role was in Harriet, where she would earn an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman. As for her co-star, who is credited as ‘Ariana Grande-Butera’ in the movie, she needs no introduction. She’s one of the biggest pop stars in the world but got her start acting in the Nickelodeon series Victorious.
“Ariana’s comic timing is brilliant,” Goldblum said of the Galinda actor. “It’s so funny, so funny but deep when she first arrives, knowing what we know – knowing what we know about what she’s just come from and still is in shock, and the decision that she [has] made – and having to answer these questions and burning the witch. It’s deep acting, it requires deep acting. She does it perfectly, and you can’t get more glorious, out-of-this-world musicianship and vocal production, but what she’s acting is so rich and deep, and nuanced and delicious, and painful and exciting, and powerful.”
As it stands, Wicked has made over $500million on a $150m budget and is one of the most talked-about movies to have been released in late 2024. Both Erivo and Grande have received Golden Globes nominations for their performances, and there is a strong chance that at least one of them could win an Oscar. It turns out Jeff Goldblum is an excellent judge of talent.
