Laura Dern and Sam Neill's age gap while filming "Jurassic Park" back in 1993 shocked fans. However, the actors believe it was acceptable to be love interests despite the age difference.
When "Jurassic Park" premiered decades ago, it immediately became a hit with people of all generations. On June 10, 2022, another film in the franchise, "Jurassic World: Dominion," will hit the theaters, taking fans back to the wild story that started it all.
Laura Dern will reunite with Jeff Goldblum and Sam Neill, who starred in the original 1993 "Jurassic Park" film. Goldblum will reprise his role as Dr. Malcolm from "Jurassic Park," "The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)," and "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)."
Meanwhile, Neill will return as paleontologist Alan Grant from the first movie and "Jurassic Park III." Here's more about the actors from the film franchise.
HOW OLD WAS LAURA DERN IN "JURASSIC PARK?"
Fans were shocked to know that Dern was only 23 years old when she starred in the first movie in 1993. Meanwhile, her co-star, Neill, was around 40 years old.
The age gap between both stars was unusual for a film. However, Dern pulled off the part by looking more mature than her actual age.
Since the blockbuster film's release, Dern has starred in other productions as well as dated other known Hollywood actors, including Billy Bob Thorton, Kyle MacLachlan, and Nicolas Cage.
Fans were also surprised to know Dern's actual age as she looked older in the film. "Laura Dern was born 35, she was 35 in ‘Jurassic Park,’ and she's still 35 today," one Twitter user said.
WHAT DID LAURA DERN AND SAM NEILL THINK OF THEIR AGE GAP?
The actor and actress also shared their thoughts about their age gap while filming. Neill said in an interview:
"I am 20 years older than Laura! Which at the time was [a] completely appropriate age difference for a leading man and lady! It never occurred to me until I opened a magazine, and there was an article called ‘Old geezers and gals.’"
Laura Dern during the premiere of Netflix's "The Black Godfather" at Paramount Theater on the Paramount Studios on June 03, 2019 in Hollywood, California | Source: Getty Images
He also cited other age-gap romances, like Harrison Ford and Anne Heche in "Six Days, Seven Nights" and Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones in “Entrapment." Ford was 55 when Heche was 29, while Connery and his leading lady, Zeta-Jones, had a 39-year age gap.
Dern also believed that it was appropriate to be with Neill at that time. However, during the recent "Jurassic Park" filming, they had "a moment of cultural awareness."
WHY LAURA RETURNED TO "JURASSIC PARK”
Dern was quite excited to work with the original cast once again and loved “the idea of bringing everyone together” in “creating a complete story.”
Laura Dern during the Cannes Lions 2019: Day Two on June 18, 2019 in Cannes, France | Source: Getty Images
She liked reminiscing with her castmates as well as making new memories together. Dern also enjoyed working with director Colin Trevorrow and Steven Spielberg, whom she considers family.
Since the original blockbuster film's release, Dern has starred in other productions as well as dated other known Hollywood actors, including Billy Bob Thorton, Kyle MacLachlan, and Nicolas Cage. In 2005, she married Ben Harper but filed for divorce in 2012. Harper later married Jaclyn Matfus.
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