A Key Jurassic Park Character Was Portrayed By A Professional Baseball Player
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There are few blockbusters in history as roundly beloved as Steven Spielberg's "Jurassic Park." Save for perhaps George Lucas' original "Star Wars" film and some other classics helmed by Spielberg, the groundbreaking 1993 adaptation of Michael Crichton's novel of the same name remains a treasured piece of cinema history. The tone was set from the jump, with the unforgettable opening sequence in which an InGen worker is killed by a Velociraptor, who we never fully see. But that chilling scene laid the groundwork for what was to come.
Though the worker in question was never named on screen, in the script he was referred to as Joffrey by screenwriter David Koepp. As explained in "Jurassic Park: The Official Script Book," that name was inspired by the actor who played him, Jophery C. Brown. What's more, Brown was actually a professional baseball player before he became an actor. To quote the book directly:
"In this final draft, Muldoon refers to the worker as 'Joffrey,' a nod to the actor who plays him, Jophery C. Brown, a former baseball player for the Chicago Cubs who became one of the first Black stuntmen in America."
The "Jurassic Park" screenplay went through many revisions, with Crichton's original draft largely thrown out. Ultimately, it was Koepp who cracked the code. The novel begins with the aftermath of a Velociraptor attack, as several workers from Isla Nublar escort a young colleague who has been badly injured by a raptor to a local medic. In the movie, however, Koepp opted to actually show the incident itself, which is where Joffrey comes in. "It works a lot better as an incident that we're watching unfold instead of something we're hearing about," Koepp explained.
Jophery C. Brown is a lowkey important figure in Hollywood history
Circling back to Mr. Brown and his role in the whole thing, though he doesn't have much screen time, Joffrey's death truly helps set the tone for the film and gets the audiences on board right from the start. It's a key role and, because "Jurassic Park" became a box office sensation and a cultural touchstone, Brown cemented himself as a part of the cultural lexicon. Of course, his work extends far beyond a single movie.
Brown was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 1966 and went on to play in the minor leagues, appearing in only one MLB game in his entire career. But he had to do something after baseball and his brother, Calvin Brown, actually helped found the Black Stuntmen's Association in 1968. As a result, Jophery C. Brown wound up following in his brother's footsteps and became one of the first Black stuntmen in the business.
"You're an athlete. You couldn't be a stuntperson without being an athlete," Brown explained in a 2006 interview (via the Society for American Baseball Research). "You've got to have a degree of insanity to do this. But you didn't want crazy stuntpeople. They get you hurt."
It turns out Brown's career in baseball ultimately helped him during his tenure as a stuntman and actor. And his list of credits is impressive, as he ended up doing stunts in movies like "Scarface," "Commando," "Lethal Weapon," and "Speed," among many others. In a 1990 interview, he explained that he took pride in his work, particularly as a Black man taking on roles of all sorts:
"We get very few non-descript roles ... I pride myself in being able to do all types of shows, not just Black films. And I do try to extend a helping hand to other qualified performers of color who are having a hard time of it."
As an actor, Brown had bit parts in everything from "Rocky III" to "Universal Soldier" and even Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man." He may have had a minor impact on the world of baseball, but his contributions to the world of film are impressive well beyond his participation in Spielberg's dinosaur spectacle.