Before Jurassic World, Jonathan Bailey Starred In A Quirky Creature Movie

Jonathan Bailey recently entered the world of "Jurassic Park" via the franchise's latest legacy sequel, "Jurassic World Rebirth." Appearing alongside Scarlett Johansson and Mahershala Ali, Bailey stars as paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis. The movie sees Bailey's Loomis and Johansson's Zora Bennett tasked with retrieving genetic samples from dinosaurs at an abandoned research facility in order to develop a new treatment for heart disease. Building on the previous "Jurassic World" movies, all of which have focused on InGen creating its own dinosaur species and using its cloning technology in unprecedented (and often dubious) ways, "Rebirth" introduced new dinosaurs like the giant six-limbed Distortus rex, as well as the flying raptor-like Mutadons.

However, "Rebirth" isn't the first time Bailey has encountered a strange, fantastical creature on screen. The first time around, though, the creature in question was far more amicable and much less terrifying than a giant mutant dinosaur. We're referring, of course, to the time a young Bailey appeared in the 2004 kids fantasy movie "Five Children and It."

"Five Children and It" was an adaptation of the classic children's novel of the same name by E. Nesbit (published in 1902). The movie shifted the setting of the novel to 1917, with the titular five children being sent to live with their Uncle Albert while their father is fighting in World War I. Exploring their uncle's home, the children discover a secret route down to the beach through the greenhouse that they were forbidden from entering. There on the beach, they encounter a small talking creature that calls itself a "psammead crustacean decapodlium wishasaurus," or sand fairy. The children, however, take to simply calling the creature It.

In addition to a young Bailey, "Five Children and It" featured an impressive cast of British talent. Kenneth Branagh, the Oscar-winning director and star of several Hercule Poirot movies and a wide assortment of Shakespeare adaptations, co-starred as the children's Uncle Albert, with Zoë Wannamaker (who, just like Branagh, popped up in the "Harry Potter" movies) playing the housekeeper Martha. Meanwhile, the psammead itself was voiced by renowned UK comic Suzy Eddie Izzard.

Most child actors don't go on to enjoy continued success in adulthood, but Bailey is one of the few to have done so. While he started acting on TV and on stage in the 1990s, "Five Children and It" marked his first ever movie appearance. Since then, he's appeared in major projects like 2024's "Wicked" (where he played Fiyero) and has earned acclaim for his turns in shows like "Bridgerton" and "Fellow Travelers" ... at least, when he isn't battling giant mutant dinosaurs, that is.