Steven Spielberg says he was “crushed” when Harrison Ford turned down the lead role in Jurassic Park. The revelation came during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, where host Josh Horowitz asked whether Ford had passed on playing paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant in the 1993 blockbuster. “Yes, he did. He may not remember that, but I sure do,” Spielberg answered. When fellow guest Emily Blunt jokingly asked if he was upset by Ford’s decision, the director admitted: “I was crushed.” The role ultimately went to Sam Neill, who starred alongside Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough. Looking back, Spielberg said the casting change worked out perfectly in the end, even if it was not what he initially wished for. “But then Sam Neill came available,” he said. “He’s Alan Grant, and it now belongs to him.” Jurassic Park became one of the highest-grossing films of all time, spawning a franchise that continues more than three decades later.
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