Jeff Goldblum has certainly been regarded as a legend in the world of Hollywood. Having starred in several iconic films over the years, ranging from his presence in the Jurrasic Park franchise to the recently released Wicked film, there is no denying that he has become an important part of popular culture.
So much so that he has had a career that has spanned five decades. One can imagine that this led to a lot of lessons, be it learning them or teaching them. Recently, the actor gave an interview where he talked about a very big lesson he learned when he was working on his very first film.
The No Showering Kind of Job
Method acting is one of the most famous and well-known forms of acting in the film industry. It has gained quite a reputation through the years, becoming well-known for its ruthlessness and demanding nature. There have been many tales about how far actors end up going when they do it right. However, what happens when an actor does it wrong?
In 1974, Jeff Goldblum starred in his very first film, Death Wish. The film had a budget of $3 million and grossed a total of $22 million according to Forbes, and he played the role of Freak-1. When a young actor is starting out, there are many things that they don’t know. It would seem that one of them was method acting for Goldblum. However, this did not stop the actor from dedicating his all to his performance as an extra.
So I, misunderstanding the methody way, I didn’t shower in order to play this street thug.
During an interview with People, the actor revealed an interesting method that he used when he was working on his first film. He revealed that he wanted to try method acting for his first role, and since he was playing a street thug, he decided to stop showering when he was working on the film.
Jeff Goldblum Was Called Smelly
One can imagine that the method Jeff Goldblum used to showcase his dedication to his very first film wasn’t necessarily required. The actor then went on to reveal how his decision to not shower while he was making Death Wish ended up backfiring in the most hilarious way possible.
Until the AD, I didn’t know what an AD was yet, the assistant director came up to me after a couple of days. Listen to this, and he said, “Um, Jeff can I talk to you for a second?” “Yes, yes sure.” “Jeff, you know we are in a small space here, and a lot of the crew members and other actors…You know, you kind of stink. You smell. Can you do something about that, please? Go home.”
Although Goldblum must have been feeling very proud when he was doing the film, soon enough, he was approached by the assistant director, a position he was unaware of. The AD told the actor that he was getting complaints from other cast and crew on the set, complaining that the young actor was smelling really bad.
It is safe to assume that the actor was very embarrassed when this happened to him, trying to do something for his craft when he did not fully understand how it works. In the interview, Goldblum also revealed that he was very ashamed when he heard about this.
I was ashamed but it was a good lesson. It was a good lesson.
So much so, that the very first piece of advice he gives young actors is to shower.
Death Wish is available for streaming on Prime Video.
