Steven Spielberg has managed to captivate the audience since he stepped into the film industry to become a successful director. Spielberg has achieved tremendous success in his career and has collaborated with enough A-list talents in the industry. He is one of the most commercially successful directors today whose projects often grossed millions, even billions of dollars at the box office. 

Throughout his celebrated career, the award-winning director has helmed dozens of socially relevant, mind-bending, sci-fi, thrilling, and adventure-packed movies, many of which have achieved iconic status in the industry. He is best known for bringing fascinating characters to the silver screen and his extraordinary approach to filmmaking. 

In 1993, he directed the sci-fi action movie Jurassic Park, featuring a star-studded cast ensemble. There are many intriguing behind-the-scenes anecdotes behind its casting process, as Joseph Mazzello, who played the role of Tim Murphy in the first film of the Jurassic Park trilogy, revealed how he got the part. The actor shared late star Robin Williams played a significant role in his casting in this blockbuster flick.

Robin Williams Helped Joseph Mazzello’s Casting in Jurassic Park

Joseph Mazzello and Robin Williams

In a candid interview, Andrew Garfield’s The Social Network movie co-star, Joseph Mazzello reveals how the late legendary actor played a crucial role behind his casting in the Steven Spielberg-directed Jurassic Park. Mazzello claimed Spielberg wanted to cast him in his then-upcoming Williams-led film Hook. At the time, the actor was working on his 1992 film Radio Flyer. He shared that he went to give a screen test for the role of Jack Banning with the director and the Good Will Hunting star, saying,

“I ended up doing a screen test [with] just Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams, and Dustin Hoffman in a room together for an hour and a half. Just the four of us, to test me to play Jack. And it’s like literally Steven holding his camcorder, and it’s Robin Williams just cracking me up for an hour and a half where I’m trying to do these emotional scenes and can’t even keep it together.”

Steven Spielberg and Joseph Mazzello

The 39-year-old actor claimed he was trying to do an emotional scene, but Robin Williams was cracking up, and he couldn’t keep it together. Therefore, the role eventually went to another actor. Nevertheless, his failed audition landed him another mega role in the Saving Private Ryan directors movie.

The River Wild star recalled,

“After that [audition] was all done, I guess I was still a little bit too young. I was seven, and they wanted somebody who looked a little more gruff and was a little older. So Steven came up to me, and he said, ‘Don’t worry Joey, I’m gonna get you in a movie this summer.’ And that movie ended up being Jurassic Park, and he switched the ages of the characters in the book so that I could be in the film.”

Even though Steven Spielberg wanted to cast Joseph Mazzello in a Robin Williams-led movie, his failed audition helped him land another blockbuster film, which is regarded as one of the most iconic films of his career.

A Brief Note on Steven Spielberg-directed Jurassic Park

Steven Spielberg

Steven Spielberg is one of the most successful and hardworking directors whose journey in Hollywood has continued to inspire young talents and filmmakers. In his legendary career, the Academy Award-winning director has helmed many iconic films like the 1993 American sci-fi action film Jurassic Park.

The film has a star-studded ensemble cast featuring Sam Neill, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck, Laura Dern, and Joseph Mazzello. The movie has a fascinating plot and over-the-top visuals. It received critical acclaim and positive reviews from the audience and amassed $1B at the global box office, making it one of the highest-grossing films in American cinema.