Jeff Goldblum: 5 Awesome Performances & 5 That Sucked

2. Dr Ian Malcolm - Jurassic Park (1993)

There's a popular bastardisation of Biblical verse that says the Geeks shall inherit the Earth, and if you had to guess, you'd probably pick Dr Ian Malcolm as one of the ones at the front leading his fellows to glory.

Malcolm is a contradiction - a swaggering chaos mathematician with an action hero's body, an expensive watch and style only matched by his rapport with women. He's basically an amalgamation of what every maths graduate and scientist has ever wished they could be, souped up with a touch of James Bond.

But crucially, Malcolm remains a man driven by brain power. He's not Indiana Jones, and he's not even comfortably able to "compete" with Dr Alan Grant (who himself isn't a good Jones either), but he has spirit and he has masses of charms. It's a glorious performance, and a ridiculous one, and there's a good reason it's gone on to become a cult gem.