Jeff Goldblum Discusses His Debut Jazz Album

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: It’s 25 years since Jurassic Park.

JEFF GOLDBLUM: Yes, ma’am.

AMANPOUR: What does that mean for you?

GOLDBLUM: Well, I’m — about my whole acting endeavor, I’m wildly grateful. It’s uncommon that a guy like me can work over the — a course of time like this. And I’m trying to get better. I had a great teacher, Sandy Meisner, and I’m a kind of a late bloomer and a humble student, I like to say, which is true. And I feel like I’m on the brink of my better stuff but I’m thrilled. You know, I wanted to do it in the worst way, like I said, and I was thrilled to break quickly. Slowly get things that I could get better at and then worked with great people over the years and was in some things that were — you know, that pleased people like the movie like —

AMANPOUR: And Steven Spielberg, obviously, was the creator.

GOLDBLUM: Steven Spielberg.

AMANPOUR: You had to persuade him not to cut your part, right?

GOLDBLUM: There is that story. I met him when — I met him for the meeting, they had said, “Hey, wants to meet you for this part in the book that they’re making into a movie.” I read the Michael Crichton book, read that character, he and Malcolm. And by the time we met, he said, you know, “I didn’t want to cancel this meeting because I like you in this.” And I said, “Let me read it to you.” He said, “But there’s a move afoot to excise that part out of the screenplay. Kind of make it part of this other character, Alan Grant.” And I, you know, remember, if I think I did, I said to him, “Mr. Steven, I don’t know. I think. Don’t you like that? That could be a good character.” I’m sure I didn’t persuade him. But anyway, it came around. So, I got back into the movie.

AMANPOUR: And do you recognize this?

GOLDBLUM: What? I like this. So sweet.

AMANPOUR: Do you recognize these inflatable pictures you — or not pictures, like a statue.

GOLDBLUM: Yes. It was —

AMANPOUR: It’s a reclining you.

GOLDBLUM: — a statue. Yes. It wasn’t inflatable. People said afterwards, and I knew nothing about that, the people sent me on the day that it appeared, “What?” This is — you know, it took me by surprise. I think they were promoting their showing of the movie after 25 years. And — but then, I must — then I read a description of it, it’s not — it wasn’t a balloon, it was — it’s kind of big.

AMANPOUR: It’s huge.

GOLDBLUM: Yes. No, I had never — expect I was like on “The Graham Norton Show” recently. They had to capitated it and they brought the head.

AMANPOUR: He’s very good, isn’t he, Graham Norton?

GOLDBLUM: Well, this is a good show.

AMANPOUR: Yes.

GOLDBLUM: He’s lovely. In fact, he’s the reason we have this album and that I’m here talking to you right now because a year ago, Gregory Porter, if you know him, a wonderful singer. I’d run into an airport, loved his music. He was the musical guest, a great singer. He was the musical guest when I was promoting “Thor: Ragnarok.” And they said, “Hey, do you want to accompany him just on the piano playing Mona Lisa.” He’s singing Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa men — because he does this Nat King Cole record. I say yes. We did it and then his label was Decca, Tom Lewis and Rebecca Allen. And they said, “Hey, maybe we should do something with Jeff,” and that’s how the whole thing came about.