Steven Spielberg’sJurassic Parkgave audiences some memorable characters, including Dr. Alan Grant, whose accent appeared to change with every scene. Dr. Alan Grant, played by Sam Neill, was a main character in the originalJurassic Parkmovie, and has appeared in three of thesix releasedJurassic Parkmovies. TheJurassic Parkfranchise timelinespans from 1993 to 2022 and is based on Michael Crichton’s bestselling books. While the main theme of rampaging dinosaurs stayed central,Jurassic Parkchanged the source material, allowing Grant to undergo some significant character development, making him a fan favorite.
When Grant returned as a character inJurassic Park III, he was arguably the best part of the movie, but there was no sign of him in the rebootedJurassic World. That said, when the iconic Ian Malcolm returned to the franchise with a cameo inJurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, there was speculation over whether more originalJurassic Parkcharacters would appear.Jurassic World: Dominion, while a critical failure, was unique in theJurassic Parkfranchise, asDominionstarred manyJurassic Parklegacy characters, introducing them to the newer characters. This included Alan Grant, with another change to his accent.
Sam Neill’s Jurassic Park Accent Was Caused By Steven Spielberg’s Changes
Sam Neill Described The Change As “An Actor’s Nightmare”
Sam Neill’s accent inJurassic Parkchangesfrom his native New Zealand accent to an American accent, and is sometimes a mix of the two. Neill toldVanity Fairthathe had been practicing his American accent for four weeks when Spielberg asked him to use his own voiceinstead. However, Neill said, “four days later, he came up to me and said, “You know that voice you’re using now?’ I said, ‘Yeah, my voice?’ He said, ‘Somewhere in between.” Spielberg’s change led to Neill’s accent varying from scene to scene.
Jurassic Park: Why Alan Grant & Ellie Sattler Didn’t Return In The Lost World
The Lost World: Jurassic Park didn’t see Sam Neill or Laura Dern return to the franchise. Here’s why Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler didn’t appear.
While Sam Neill’sJurassic Parkaccent is far from someterrible accents that have ruined movies, he still gets embarrassed about it. This may be because, even thoughJurassic Parkwas released over 30 years ago, fans and critics still give him what he toldVanity Fairwas “a lot of flak to this day.” Neill explained that being asked to do a combination of your natural accent and an adopted one is “an actor’s nightmare.“In the laterJurassic Parkmovies, Alan Grant has a smoother accentthan the one he had to improvise in the original.
How Sam Neill’s Alan Grant Accent Changes In Later Jurassic Movies
It Is Unlikely That Alan Grant Will Appear In Jurassic World: Rebirth
If Sam Neill had overcorrected hisJurassic Parkaccent by adopting an American accent or keeping his own, this could have been jarring. Instead, Neill worked on combining his natural voice with an American accent, which can be heard inJurassic Park III.While the result is not perfectly smooth, it is much more consistent than in the original movie.Neill agreed to play Alan Grant againinJurassic World: Dominion, andwhile his mix of accents is occasionally uneven, it is now considered an Alan Grant quirk, and it would be strange to change that now.
Alan Grant in the Jurassic Park franchise movies
1993
Yes (main character)
91%
1997
53%
2001
50%
2015
72%
2018
47%
2022
29%
2025
No (confirmed by San Neill)
-
Jurassic World: Dominionsaw Alan Grant rekindling his relationship with Dr. Ellie Sattler, which wrapped up their story arc.It is unlikely Sam Neill will return inJurassic World: Rebirth, as he is no longer focused on theJurassic Parkfranchise. Neill recently starred as a tennis coach in the miniseriesApples Never Fall, and he toldForbes"I can obviously play tennis - you see that in the show, but as far as running from dinosaurs, maybe that’s it.” TheJurassic Parkfranchise looks set to continue without Alan Grant, which may give Sam Neill a break from accents.
Source:Vanity Fair,Forbes
Jurassic Park
The Jurassic Park franchise is an action-adventure sci-fi series that began with Michael Crichton’s original novel. The series explores the dramatic repercussions of resurrecting dinosaurs through advanced genetic science. Set primarily in a disastrous theme park, Jurassic Park explores the profound ethical dilemmas about tinkering with the DNA of long ago extinct creatures and the manipulation of the natural world through science.
