In a conversation with Carrie Brownstein, the actor opens up in his own strange way.
Save this article to read it later.
Find this story in your accountsSaved for Latersection.
I was wondering about the provenance of that.
Could you tell us a little bit about your childhood the Goldblum household.
Pittsburgh is an interesting place have you ever been there?
I have.Whatd you go to Pittsburgh for?
To play music.Our band played there too, at a place near our house in West Homestead.
Pittsburgh is a place that … theres cultural things going on there.
Growing up, I had two older brothers and one younger sister weve always been very close.
Shes two years younger than I am, and shes a painter.
They both wanted to be actors.
My dad came from a poor family from Russia.
They came here and had a little luggage store [inside] a candy store.
He needed to pull himself up by his bootstraps.
My mother flirted with the stage also.
They would drive to New York and come back with cast albums from the musicals theyd seen.
They had sophisticated taste; they saw Lee J. Cobb doKing Lear.
Theyd take us to the museum and I had some facility as an artist early on.
My older brother had a clarinet.
They took us to see dance.
We went to the Syria Mosque and saw the Bolshoi Ballet.
They were into that.
My dad was a doctor, and he enjoyed my curiosity.
at the dinner table one night, he said, Ah, thats very interesting.
And he would expound on it.
This group of people who were there just thrilled me.
I had a flair for some of the things.
There was arts-and-crafts, piano and music appreciation, and softball.
Then, between ninth and 10th and 11th grades, I went to six-week sessions at Carnegie Mellon University.
Thats when Ireallybecame obsessed with being an actor.
Id take this wonderful class.
I must have been 12 or 13.
At the end, when my dad would pick me up, Id be waiting outside.
When I was waiting for him, on a few different occasions, you know what I did?
And I would go, Oh, my gosh, look who it is.
Oh, my golly, I cant believe Im seeing you.
And theyd go, I dont know you.
Do you know me?
And sometimes Id get into a conversation.
I just had a hankering to do that.
Is that kind of interesting and a little related to what youre talking about?
Yes, its both interesting and totally related I think.I dont know how I got so much energy.
I dont drink coffee.
I dont have any caffeine.
Do you have caffeine these days?
Just in the morning.Good idea.
Im told thats a good thing to do.
But I have no caffeine.
Thats our show, drive safely!
I think youre opening me up in a strange way.
I feel like telling you everything.
I dont know why.
Im so happy that youre doing this.
Im so grateful to see you, too.
Its too rare that we run into each other.
Im so interested in you, anyway.
I think youre great.
Thanks for doing this.
It is very mutual and Im happy to be here!
Was this some through-line through the whole family?
Was everyone slightly a performer?My parents, right, wanted to be actors.
My mom was vivacious and stricken with a show-off-y kind of element to her character.
But my two older brothers, no.
The first one, Lee the firstborn he was trying to find himself all through his life in fact.
And then Rick … oh, Rick was wonderful and interesting and fascinating.
Hes also not with us anymore.
He died when he was 23.
He was an adventurer, so a little adjacent to something that maybe I have in me.
And he was great and smart, and he wanted to be a writer.
Hed already decided that he wanted to write.
He was a romantic in many ways.
And I looked up to him.
He got something quick and passed away.
I used to perform for him.
In fact, he was kind of my main audience.
I thought I was funny early on, and I would do funny things for him.
Iwantedto do them for him.
But he was not a performer himself.
And then Pam, a real artist, who, during our upbringing, would sit there, quiet.
She was the last one two years younger.
She would draw things, always drawing on a napkin.
That was always part of her salvation and her character.
Shes devoted her life to it, and to this day, shes making stuff that shes excited about.
We went on the David Letterman show once becauseI taught her to play the piano with her nose.
We did it together.
But you know, it wasnt in her although performing for mealwayshad an element of terror in it.
The exhilaration was because I overcame it!
But she wasnt ready to do that.
Youre an amazing piano player Ive seen your band play.
I got the lead part in this little show at the end.
It was a little musical, and I acted and rehearsed it and then leaped on stage.
That night, I remember my parents were in the audience.
After I came off, they said, Howd you like that?
I went, I did.
Then when I took that Carnegie Mellon course, I was wildly obsessed with it.
And then before I left, I would wipe it off.
But I was just driven.
I got a couple.
I never thought,I want to be a musician.
They had two different roles in my muddled thinking, you know?
Youre talking about writing this aspirational message on your shower stall.
Your early filmography includes things likeNashvilleandAnnie Hall, small parts but big movies and big directors.
What was the first moment that you thought, I am an actor?
Thats the question: When did I decide that I was an actor?
and go, Actor.
Im still tickled to do that.
I would say Im an actor, but I felt, Jeez, Ive got a lot to learn.
I was so lucky to work with Altman, and very interesting directors and good movies.
Can you imagine from early on?
I hardly ever had to do anything else professionally.
So maybe I look for that and turn those situations into learning opportunities.
I feel like Im an actor now.
I feel like I can say, Im an actor.
Im still trying to get better.
And I think Im on the brink of doing my best work right now, frankly.
I feel that grand things are ahead.
Its like piano: discipline yields results, and I play every day.
Id go through my body of work.
And Ill tell you, I played some things this morning that were better than Id ever played them.
Its the continuity of digging that will really provide results.
Ive devoted my life rather conscientiously to trying to investigate it more and more and get better.
Joseph Papp was the producer, a very important and fantastical person of inspiration and education.
Jean Erdman was the choreographer.
I wish Id known!
Stockard Channing Ill bet you admire her was fantastic in it.
It was an extension of that feeling at Carnegie Mellon University and Chatham.
I was just hungry and ready.
And Ill be darned, I wound up in groups that were really interesting and nourishing.
So thats my first job.
Then I go to [the play]El Grande de Coca-Cola, the second job.
But he, in the first scene that I was doing, yelled at me and said, Go!
We were just rehearsing the camera shot with me and two other bad guys.
Youre talking about growing up in Pittsburgh and then being in New York.
What was L.A. like?
What was your experience of coming here?
Was it always on your radar to end up in L.A.?
And what was it like to be here when you first got here?
How did you find community?It wasnt on my radar.
I still am not particularly strategic about where things are leading, necessarily.
Id never been to Los Angeles in my life.
We saw you in that show.
Wed like you to do this movieCalifornia Split.
A miraculous call, really.
Id never seen it before.
She drove me to Westwood didnt know what that was to his Lionsgate operation there.
Seeing that that night, getting off the plane, was striking and remarkable.
Hanging around there for a week or two and doing that part,thatwas amazing.
That was at the high point of his work with that crowd.
They did what Wes Anderson does now.
We took over this complex there in Nashville and hung out for the whole time.
Afterwards, an agent said, Come out to California and well show you around.
That was Abbey Greshler with Diamond Artists an old-time agent.
Then they sent me up for a few things.
And I didLike a Blue NightandStarsky and Hutchand aColomboand aLaverne and Shirley.
Then you get to 83.
With my friend, we said, Lets have a school, lets keep teaching this.
So we learned how to do it and I taught for a couple of decades at this place.
And California became a nourishing family and place to be of creativity.
And its been very creative.
When would you ascribe the transition from being unknown to known?
Was it withThe FlyorJurassic Park?
And what was that shift like for you?Well, its good because its very gradual.
It still seems to still be gradual.
I never know if its ungracious to correct him or not.
I said, Well, thank you.
Did you meanDeep Cover?
Id go to parties and people would go, Bzzzzzz, and Id go, Hello, thank you.
I did a little [detective comedy] series for a little bit.
I was like, Wow, people know that?
ThenJurassic Park, a worldwide picture like that … its never been difficult for me.
It never happened to me like that.
Its just never been a problem or particularly challenging or anything but kind of sweet.
I guess Im a people person.
I mean, I think that just perfectly illustrates your openness.
And I loved that.
Because dogs used to have real jobs and now their job is to take care of us.
I read a whole book about it calledThe New Work of Dogs.
If your dog is a nightmare, its probably because its job used to be sheep herding.
And now its to comfort you.Really?
I should have talked to you for that series, because thats what I want to learn about.
You have a dog?
I have two dogs.Dogs are amazing.
You saw the episode you just mentioned, I thought it was particularly moving.
I met the people involved.
The dog then was sent out to venture to find me, and sure enough, he did.
I thought it was very emotional and just amazing what these dogs do.
They do a good job.
When I see it again, Im always delighted by it and oftentimes choked up.
I love the way the show came out.
They know how to do that.
But the show is kind of easy for me.
We dont do two takes, its just authentic.
They shoot me as Im meeting the person and they make a run at keep me surprised.
They tell me as little as possible.
Im just encountering the thing and, you know, I just do what I do.
I hadnt really done something exactly like that before.
I like everything they do.
So it was a fun experience.
Anyway, after the show, they said, That was good.
We have an idea.
Maybe you want to do a show on your own a new kind of show.
And I said, Thank you so much.
You guys are great.
And Id like to work with you.
Id like to just not be in a studio.
Let me interact with people.
It kind of became that.
So I talk and give a shot to make it my own.
And I enjoy it.
They would come up with some things, and I would say, Heres my feeling about those things.
And through that we would collaboratively come upon whatever it was that we were gonna do.
Jeff, you have two young boys.
They show up in an episode or two.
Its cliche, but it does.
Your heart cracks wide open.
You care about them more than anything.
Theyre so deeply built into our makeup; youre so deeply enchanted by them and in love with them.
And Ive found that with Emily Goldblum she likes to be called Emily Goldblum, my wife.
Theyre so playful and curious.
Seeing the world through their eyes and wanting to do things with them is just great.
I dont want to endanger them or exploit them.
I went to Legoland, which they would have loved I didnt take them.
Wait, you went to Legoland, and you didnt take them there?
!Well, that wasnt part of the thing.
It actually sounds like a nightmare.Id never done a Lego in my life before these kids.Never.
I did Lincoln Logs and Tinker Toys.
I just left a pile before I came here.
We were all playing, they say, Dada, come here, lets play.
I went to Legoland, and that wasnt part of the plan to bring them.
But Id like to bring them there!
I think theyd get a big kick out of it.
We just allow them to play, never asking them to do anything more than they want to do.
Theres not lines or anything.
But when I see it, Im always touched.
She talks to your deceased parents and siblings.
Observationally, you have kind of a science brain, your recall is amazing.
Im sure youve noticed how many names hes mentioned.
They reveal to the crowd, Hey, nothing supernatural is going on here.
And lovely that the brain is susceptible, because its entertaining to be astounded like that.
Theyre very articulate and eloquent about that.
Anyway, there were three of these witches but I loved them.
That was part of what appealed to me.
I was way into the delicious arts of opening up that may not be provable.
But I was of both minds.
Now Ive come around in this cycle, where I highly esteem scientists.
Im still starstruck with Carl Sagan and his bookThe Demon-Haunted World.
There are many relevant applications of good meat-and-potatoes thinking, and trust in what we know.
However, I still have a strong appetite for poetry and music and things you cant explain.
And we know there are mysteries that we still havent fathomed in the universe.
When one of the witches started to go, Yes, I see your father.
Wait a minute, youre going too fast.
Ah, he wants to tell you something.
I thought it was very moving.
It had opened me up.
Im of both stripes, I guess youd say.
I feel like that kind of porousness that you possess is what draws people to you.
So these are leggings with your faceOh no.
I dont think Ive seen these particular ones.
All from all different eras.
These are for sale now.
You have band T-shirts.
But thats different.We made a cut with Virgil Normal.
Do you know Virgil Normal?
And I recently … [sees the slideshow of Jeff Goldblum merch], oh my God in heaven.
Thats a pillow.Thats a pillow.
A throw pillow.Oh my God.
You know, I have none of this in my home.
Ive never seen that in life or anything.
But that of course is a little Photoshop of me inLife Aquatic With Steve Zissou.
He said, Oh no, I know the glasses I want you to wear.
And I have this blue-light pink scarf that I also want you to wear.
He arranges it all.
I have an affection for that.
But in no place in that movie did I appear with a primate of any kind.
Theyre mocking that up.
Maybe theyre inThe Fly.
[He sees the next slide of Jeff Goldblum merch.]
Oh my God in heaven.
Oh my God, what the heck?
Yeah, theyve gotten me.
Well, what is that?
Its a … its a painting that you’re free to …?
Looks like it might be a T. rex of some kind, and Im looking fierce.
I think they imagined that … but anyway, nice, nice picture.
Way to go, very flattering.
This is an interesting one [moves to the next slide].
So this was a hybrid.
Thank you so much.
No, thankyou.I have seen this.
Theres a lot of St. Goldblum.Oh, my golly, how about that?
I know about the Goldblum variations thats kind of, you know, witty, isnt it?
I think theres a book that Ive seen.
Did you consult on this book?I think Ive seen it.
No, no, no, no prior knowledge or collaboration or anything.
Did you see that book that came out about me, what do you call it?
But I have it actually.
And its on my table.
I have not read it.
I have not read it.
But Ive seen some snippets from it here and there.
And you might learn something.Iwantto learn something.
Im always eager to learn something about myself.
Well, we are down to literally the countdown on the last minute.No!
So all of you here today who have joined us, thank you.
You will all be receiving a Jeff Goldblum cookie.Thats an edible cookie.
I had to approve this image.
A couple of people last week said they wanted to make a cookie.
I said, Yeah, that looks pretty good to me.
Theres still stubble on it.Theres stubble and I didnt shave today.
I have not tried it.
So I cant attest to the deliciousness of the cookie.
Of course,allcookies are good.
I myself will take one of these home today if theres an extra one.
Im sure you might get one.Id like to show Emily and the kids.
We had it for a while but then Emily started to eat it the other day.
I think shes in the right, there.Shes in the right.
Whats good if not nourishment, you know?
