Hi, this is Jeff Goldblum. I'm here with Victoria from reddit.

You can call me Jeff. I'm an actor, musician, teacher, and I have a couple of movies out in theaters right now. Wes Anderson's The Grand Budapest Hotel and another movie called Le Weekend. Both those movies get ten Goldblums out of a possible ten Goldblums in my humble opinion.

You know, besides those, you might have seen me in any number of things, you know, a couple of the Jurassic Park movies, Independence Day, The Fly, TV and stage stuff. Currently here and there on Portlandia. Just finished a movie with Johnny Depp and Ewan McGregor and Gwyneth Paltrow called Mortdecai. Came back from a stint on the stage at Lincoln Center.

Ask me anything, I'm an open-faced sandwich.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=699190176790519&set=a.620895917953279.1073741828.620336341342570&type=1&theater

I'm sad that I have to stop. Thank you so much for having me. And submitting your questions. And being receptive. And please ask me back!

Comments: 4489 • Responses: 50  • Date: 

DJ11013290 karma

Would it be weird if I hung this above my fireplace?

http://i.imgur.com/G4e8Kty.jpg

_JeffGoldblum3291 karma

I think it would be very nice, and a great honor.

alucard77552459 karma

Hello Jeff, first off... huge fan! I guess the one question I have is....
What was your, for lack of a better term, "inspiration" to laugh like you did in Jurassic Park on the helicopter?
Link for the lazy, but let's be real... We all know what it sounds like. I mean, people are obsessed with it and even made song remixes of it. Just curious...

Edit: Thanks for gold! Just always been curious maybe something on set triggered it or what. Turns out, that laugh was pent up awesome.

_JeffGoldblum2764 karma

I know, I've heard them. It tickles me.

It just happened spontaneously in the moment.

RichardManuel2054 karma

Hi Jeff,

I've always wanted to know, is it pronounced Gold-bloom or Gold-bluhm?

thanks.

_JeffGoldblum2761 karma

Hahaha. However you want would be fine. I myself say bloom to rhyme with Zoom.

Brostapholes1893 karma

Mr. Goldblum, if you could splice your DNA with another organism, what would you choose and what would be your name?

_JeffGoldblum3725 karma

Hahahaha. Let's see. Off the top of my head, I'd splice myself with a dolphin, and my name would be Surf Goldblum.

McPick1683 karma

Thank you for stopping by, Mr. Goldblum (and Victoria for setting this up),
Not a question. Just thought you should know that every time my husband and I play 20 questions on a long car ride the answer is Jeff Goldblum. I think he’s obsessed with you.

_JeffGoldblum2378 karma

Totally understandable.

Frajer1599 karma

Are you aware that someone slowed down your apple ads so it sounded like you were drunk?If so did you approve?

_JeffGoldblum2378 karma

Yes. I'm aware. And yes, I approve heartily. Beige.

Sliferjam1292 karma

How was your experience working on The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension? It's such a fun film.

_JeffGoldblum1891 karma

WONDERFUL. Mmm, let's see, ooh. The whole cast was a gas to work with and hang out with. Peter Weller and I formed a musical collaboration afterwards, and a life-long friendship. And the director, D.W. Richter, was terrific.

dreamshoes1208 karma

Mr. Goldblum,

When I consider your work, I can think of no moment I find funnier than the following, from the Life Aquatic:

"What's your dog's name?"

"Cody."

WHAP

"Be still, Cody."

How do you approach an acting job when it requires you to be so mean?

_JeffGoldblum1304 karma

Hahaha! Yeah, that moment was meant for comedy of a dark or grayish kind. And so mostly I remember Wes and I laughing about it as we were doing it.

Kknowsbest1206 karma

What is the best advice ever given to you?

_JeffGoldblum2668 karma

Ooooh.

Gee. The best advice ever given…to me… Let's see. Oh boy. This is a good one. The best advice ever given to me is fill your days with what you love doing. Also, you know, contribute as substantially as you can to the community, and, uh, something the opposite of what the opposite of what the character does in Wolf of Wall Street. Do something worthwhile and substantial, not with any sales technique or baloney on top of it, and give as much as you can. The opposite of the Wolf of Wall street, but I don't know how to put that into a pithy piece of advice. And also, put down your device, whatever it is, when you cross the street. Stop, look, and listen. Both equally important.

SSbread1165 karma

What is your favorite dinosaur?

I have you pegged for a stegosaurus man.

_JeffGoldblum2141 karma

I'm no expert but since childhood I've had a fondness for the triceratops, because I read a kid's book about a kid who finds an egg in his backyard, and it's a triceratops, and he rides it. Remember that book? That's the one! And then they take him to Washington. Boy, you're into dinosaurs, you really know them.

jamesgrebb1157 karma

What's your favorite kind of sandwich?

_JeffGoldblum2988 karma

Oooooooooh. SANDWICH. OH MY GOSH.

Oh my gosh.

I love sandwiches.

When I was a kid, every day I had a bacon lettuce tomato sandwich. Then at some point I switched to tuna fish sandwiches. Then turkey and swiss with russian dressing. Now I try to stay in the healthier vein, but I love every moment of my sandwich life.

drmc_coy1021 karma

Did you know the Goldblume (golden Flower) is an edible chrysanth?

_JeffGoldblum1743 karma

I had no idea! So am I! An edible kind of flower.

Randy_Newman924 karma

Where the hell do you buy your bowties? I've looked high and far for that one you wore on Conan. No luck!

_JeffGoldblum1752 karma

Brooks Brothers. They are reversible.

operation_hennessey892 karma

Can you tell us something about yourself that we may find surprising?

_JeffGoldblum2031 karma

Hahaha. Surprising. Hmmmm.

I've never had a cavity or a filling.

See? You're surprised.

HemingwayJawline846 karma

What does Conan O'Brien smell like? I get the feeling that you intimately know this answer off the top of your head.

_JeffGoldblum1398 karma

Hahaha. Uh, a field of wildflowers. And that's just his head.

robinsky1789 karma

What film did you enjoy working on the most?

_JeffGoldblum1627 karma

Oh my golly, oh my golly. Oh my golly. That's going to sound self-promotional, but it's true, the two that are out right now. The Grand Budapest Hotel and Le Weekend are as good a time as I've ever had.

SilosNeeded776 karma

Mr. Goldblum,

I've heard you can wiggle your ears one at a time. How much of your success as an actor do you attribute to this talent?

_JeffGoldblum1263 karma

All of it, hahaha.

ACarNamedScully730 karma

Hey Mr. Goldblum, I'm a huge fan.

Very excited to see The Grand Budapest Hotel. Do you enjoy working on projects more like this film, or big action movies like Jurassic Park or Independence Day?

_JeffGoldblum1225 karma

Oh boy, I'd hate to choose. Movies like Jurassic Park or Independence Day were particular movies, where Spielberg and Emmerich worked like independent filmmakers. Spielberg is definitely an auteur. And then those other movies, Wes is very handcrafted, and I do love that.

You know, I make sure that I have a good time on any movie. I make sure that I have a good time on any movie. It's, uh, an uncommon privilege.

Thats_the_One681 karma

What is your favorite book of all time?

_JeffGoldblum1426 karma

Ooooh. That's a good question!

I sure like The Great Gatsby. I sure like Catcher in the Rye. I like 100 Years of Solitude. I like American Pastoral. And I like the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

stillcold617 karma

Mr. Goldblum, are you really watching me go to the bathroom?

_JeffGoldblum1082 karma

Yes I am. So be careful how you behave.

foolsgold64558 karma

Hi Jeff, thanks for joining us on Reddit! Due to your propensity for playing scientists, my friends and I have taken to exclusively referring to you as "Dr. Jeff Goldblum." So, you're welcome for the honorary doctorate.

I love your work, even when you're not portraying an eccentric man of science. This of course includes your work with Tim & Eric! How'd you get together with those guys?

_JeffGoldblum665 karma

Oooh. Thank you. I enjoy them no end, I did a couple of episodes of their TV show, I think through Bob Odenkirk originally.

thenameisnat_544 karma

Does life really, uh, find a way?

_JeffGoldblum828 karma

Absolutely.

xsuntheweezerx540 karma

You're one of my favorite actors of all time! What was it like being covered in all that hair in Earth Girls Are Easy?

_JeffGoldblum914 karma

Blue hair says I!

Hot. I mean, sweaty. But, um, provocative.

Kknowsbest479 karma

If you weren't in the entertainment industry, what would you do for a career?

_JeffGoldblum1021 karma

Ahhhh. Well, as I said already in my earlier remarks, I play jazz once a week these days. I play piano with a jazz group, a bunch of great musicians, at a place called Rockwell in the Los Feliz area. So if anyone finds themselves around here, you're cordially invited to come to Rockwell. We had a great time last night, it's Wednesdays, so call them up. And the answer to the question is that I have so much fun doing that is that if I weren't acting, I certainly have a good time doing that every day. I love music and then teaching. I like to teach. I like the classroom.

Ribelin2000436 karma

What directors would you like to work with that you haven't worked with yet?

_JeffGoldblum978 karma

Oh boy oh boy. Mmmm. Plenty. For starters, let's say Paul Thomas Anderson, and the Coen brothers.

elbowdropper402 karma

Mr Goldblum, what's your favourite food? What's your least favourite?

_JeffGoldblum899 karma

My favorite food, oh boy, I love all food so much! I'm not picky. And I'm easily entertained and thrilled, but I sure love cold cereal and pizza. And, uh, pasta. But right now I'm making salads and smoothies that thrill me with ecstasy. My least favorite food, hmmmmmmmmm. My least favorite food is some gristly fatty meat.

fbook95384 karma

Whenever I watch one of your interviews on TV or online, you're always really eccentric. You're definitely unique in the regard that you don't behave similar to any other celebrity I've seen. Do people in the industry frown upon that or are they mostly accepting of your personality?

_JeffGoldblum722 karma

Maybe it's just me, but generally, I feel people's warmth very strongly.

BrodyApproved348 karma

My roommate Tim wants to know what was the strangest/weirdest thing about working on The Fly?
Also, you as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park is by far one of the best things in the world. Did you ad-lib the little growls & snarls?

_JeffGoldblum598 karma

The strangest or weirdest thing? Strange or weird, not wonderful, not all the passion that we had for it, not David Cronenberg who was wonderful, I guess I could divert to answering some other question, but to answer more specifically…well, you know, in a scene that they cut out of the movie, I had to, you know, I was in almost full Fly transformation (incarnation? Is that the word I want to use? costume) and I had to slide down this angled wall over and over again by being covered all over my body with KY Jelly. That's kind of weird and strange.

Well, I don't know, I'm not thinking of all of them, I think I muttered or uttered a couple of things that were not in the script.

IamRule34336 karma

What was your favorite part about appearing as a guest on Top Gear?

_JeffGoldblum570 karma

Oh! My favorite part? Just learning to race that car around that track! I'd never taken a car, you know, full throttle around a track that was built for it like that and gone at those speeds. So just learning how to do that, and racing around was pretty thrilling.

Stovokor_X314 karma

Hi Jeff, where do you like to go for holidays ?

_JeffGoldblum636 karma

Oooh, the truth is, there's no place I don't like to go to. It's not as if I like to get away. Wherever I am is fine and dandy. But mostly I like to stay put, in my own backyard.

tpress1290301 karma

Jeff! How's your day?

_JeffGoldblum507 karma

Glorious.

hayabusabjj261 karma

Hello, Mr. Goldblum. Andrew here, I would like to know if you've remembered your mantra this evening. If so, can you tell us what it is?

_JeffGoldblum428 karma

I never forgot it. And it's a secret.

geebee765257 karma

Can you tell us any stories about Cody, the three-legged dog from The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou?

_JeffGoldblum617 karma

He was treated grandly, pampered, but I'm always vigilant about animals in show business. They haven't asked for it, and, uh, I'm passionate that they be treated well.

coozcrew248 karma

Which other actor do people get you confused with the most?

_JeffGoldblum565 karma

Bowser from Sha Na Na.

Clydesdale_Member248 karma

Hello Jeff! What is your position on the legalization of marijuana? For some reason I have always thought sharing a doobie with you would induce a great conversation.

_JeffGoldblum563 karma

You can mark me down for being in the more progressive vein. But as for myself, I enjoy the art of conversation after a good night's sleep.

whistletipss243 karma

Hello, Mr. Goldblum! Any plans on returning to The League?

_JeffGoldblum388 karma

I had a great time on the League! Nick Kroll my son is hilarious. Anytime they want me back, anytime they ask me back.

NAMPG200 karma

Hey Jeff, thanks for doing this AMA! As with most commenting, you were a huge part of my childhood, so thank you for doing all that you've done.

My questions: What advice would Jeff Goldblum of today give a Jeff Goldblum who was just starting out?

How do you think the medium of acting has changed, if at all, over the course of your career?

Anything you wish you could've done that haven't yet been able to?

And lastly, if it's not too much to ask, what's a story that you enjoy telling?

Take care and thanks again!

Edit: forgot a sentence

_JeffGoldblum476 karma

Ooooh, that's a good idea. Hmmm.

Hmmmm.

Gee, that's interesting. Oh boy, that's interesting.

Hmm. Hmm. Hmm.

It's a good question, like Back to the Future, you would spend a good session trying to go over many things. It's not as if I regret a lot of things, I would say whatever you're doing, it's perfect, I wouldn't want to tamper with it, you can't change anything about the past. No advice, I wouldn't want to tamper with the past.

Or the funny answer would be "Don't eat shrimp that's been left out for more than several hours."

Oh gosh, golly, I don't know that it has changed. Good actors have always been trying to do the same thing, which is pretend good.

leodown0197 karma

Mr. Goldblum Would you ever do another Jurassic park film And how fun was it doing the Jurassic park movies by the way huge fan of your films and looking forward to seeing the grand Budapest hotel and learning the secret of the society of crossed keys

_JeffGoldblum312 karma

Possibly? I had a great time on the two that I did.

CaptainBaloney182 karma

Jeff!!! I adore you. Who is your favorite jazz musician?

_JeffGoldblum334 karma

Ooooh, I have plenty. Thelonius Monk comes to mind. But our group, I like the guys I play with, I have a particular affection and studentship with them. Zane Musa on sax, Kenny Elliott on drums, Tim Emmons on the bass, and various guitar masters, including Anthony Wilson and John Storie.

tomhagen181 karma

The Big Chill is one of my favorite movies. Can you talk about your experiences on the set? Thanks, Jeff!

_JeffGoldblum304 karma

Totally delightful. Another, uh, semester of communal passionate collaborative intimate story making.

angiesrightleg163 karma

Hi Jeff, big fan of the Grand Budapest Hotel over here. What was it like working with such an esteemed cast and director? Is Wes Anderson as weird in real life as I imagine him to be?

_JeffGoldblum272 karma

Working on that movie and with that cast was one of the big thrills of my life. And I don't find Wes what I would call weird at all. He's unique, super-special, a genius, and out of this world.

wiwu150 karma

I'm a huge fan! Thanks For your work What's your favorite joke?

_JeffGoldblum370 karma

My favorite joke, let's see… Oh boy oh boy, let's see. My own idiocy.

everydayland134 karma

Sir Goldblum, you seem to have an enlightened manner to you; a good vibe of sorts, in television interviews. Do you have a philosophy or method to your non-madness you could share?

_JeffGoldblum217 karma

Well, hmmm. Let's see, I aspire to perspective, let's call it. Not always succeeding.

operation_hennessey110 karma

Hello Mr. Goldblum!

Please tell us a behind the scenes story from The Grand Budapest Hotel!

_JeffGoldblum285 karma

Let's see, let's see, there are many, behind the scenes…

Oooh. The whole cast stayed in one hotel, and took over, exclusively, this one hotel in Gurlitz, Germany, and every night Wes Anderson brought a chef that he knew to the hotel and would make us a beautiful dinner. The table lit by candles, and a candelabra.

greenL199193 karma

Hi Mr Goldblum,

My girlfriend is a big fan of yours (so much so that I once dressed as you for a Jurassic Park themed halloween costume) If you could just say "Hi Elyse" or in some other way acknowledge her existence, I'm sure it would earn me a bunch of brownie points with her. Thanks!

_JeffGoldblum184 karma

Hi Elyse.

katanamoose62 karma

Jeff, who was your favorite teacher and why? Elementary, high school, etc.

_JeffGoldblum92 karma

Oh boy, I've loved many teachers. The great Sandford Misner was an acting teacher, but so was William Esper, an acting teacher, and Mordecai Lawner. Peggy Feury was another great acting teacher. And I've had great singing teachers, and dance teachers, and piano teachers. Joseph Fitzpatrick was an art teacher. Let's leave it at that.

_JeffGoldblum90 karma

And Edith Skinner who taught speech.

tesla_forever60 karma

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?

_JeffGoldblum100 karma

An actor, from very early on. I got the idea when I was little, I don't know how, but I did.

Lord_Hex60 karma

You're usually in great shape in your movies. What's your routine to get the blood flowing?

_JeffGoldblum117 karma

Mmmm, I like a little cardio and some weight training, and these days I like to take 10,000 steps a day.