Every Major Actor from ‘Jurassic’ Franchise Who Died

For over three decades, the ‘Jurassic’ saga has mixed awe, terror, and that unmistakable John Williams swell to introduce new generations to dinosaurs—and to a stacked roster of performers who made the mayhem feel real. Along the way, the series has also lost a handful of its most memorable stars, whose work helped define the tone and texture of these films.

This piece looks back at the major actors from across ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’, ‘Jurassic Park III’, and ‘Jurassic World’ who have passed away. From franchise figureheads to unforgettable scene-stealers, here are the performers whose legacy still roars every time those park gates creak open.

Richard Attenborough

As John Hammond, Richard Attenborough gave the franchise its benevolent (if dangerously optimistic) heartbeat. His warm “spared no expense” ethos made the dream of a dinosaur park feel plausible, and his scenes anchored the human stakes of ‘Jurassic Park’ and a brief reprise in ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’. A legendary actor-director in his own right, he brought instant gravitas to the role of a visionary who learns the hard limits of control.

Attenborough died in 2014, leaving behind a towering career on both sides of the camera. Within the ‘Jurassic’ fandom, he’s remembered as the soul of the series—proof that the story was always about people trying (and failing) to play god, not just the thunder of footsteps in the jungle.

Bob Peck

Bob Peck’s game warden Robert Muldoon is one of the franchise’s most beloved one-off characters—calm, flinty, and fatally respectful of raptors. His “clever girl” moment in ‘Jurassic Park’ became instant canon, a perfectly timed blend of dread and admiration that told you everything about predator and prey in a single beat.

Peck, a respected British stage and screen actor, died in 1999. His brief but indelible turn gave the series one of its defining human perspectives: a professional who understands nature’s rules and pays with his life when others don’t.

Pete Postlethwaite

As master hunter Roland Tembo in ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’, Pete Postlethwaite brought steel-eyed focus and unexpected soul. He could have played the role as a cartoon big-game braggart; instead, he made Tembo principled and poignant, a man who comes to recognize the moral cost of the mission.

Postlethwaite died in 2011. An Oscar-nominated character actor with a singular presence, he elevated every scene he touched, and his work in the franchise remains a high-water mark for layered antagonists.

Michael Jeter

Michael Jeter’s mercenary Udesky in ‘Jurassic Park III’ added warmth and gallows humor to a film full of frazzled survivalists. Even in limited screen time, Jeter found the vulnerability under the bravado, turning a hired hand into a person you actually worry about.

Jeter, an Emmy- and Tony-winning performer, died in 2003. His knack for humanizing outsiders and oddballs made him unforgettable across film and television, and that same generosity shines through in his ‘Jurassic’ appearance.

Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan played Simon Masrani, the visionary CEO behind the fully operational ‘Jurassic World’. With effortless charisma, he captured a man trying to balance wonder with responsibility—someone sincere enough to believe in the park’s promise, and human enough to misjudge its risks.

Khan died in 2020. A giant of international cinema, he brought a rare, quiet magnetism to blockbuster storytelling, and his turn in the franchise is cherished for its warmth and humanity.

Richard Kiley

You never see Richard Kiley on screen in ‘Jurassic Park’, but you absolutely hear him: he’s the pre-recorded tour voice Hammond proudly name-drops. That playful cameo from a Broadway and screen great became part of the series’ texture, a wry nod that helped sell the park’s glossy illusion.

Kiley died in 1999. Even as a voice, his presence lent the film an extra layer of class—and a meta joke that fans still quote whenever the tour jeeps start rolling.

Greg Burson

Greg Burson voiced Mr. DNA, the park’s chipper animated guide who breaks down cloning with bouncy show-and-tell flair in ‘Jurassic Park’. In a film packed with awe, his sequence is the secret sauce that makes the science click for audiences and characters alike.

Burson, a prolific voice actor across animation and games, died in 2008. His brief but iconic contribution turned an exposition dump into a fan-favorite moment that the franchise continued to echo years later.

Julio Oscar Mechoso

Julio Oscar Mechoso brought earthy charm and edge to Enrique Cardoso in ‘Jurassic Park III’, the local operator whose connections kick off the ill-fated island trip. He made a small role pop, grounding the story’s early momentum with wry practicality.

Mechoso died in 2017. A consummate character actor with more than a hundred credits, he had a gift for giving texture to supporting parts—exactly the kind of craftsmanship that keeps the ‘Jurassic’ world feeling lived-in.

Geno Silva

In ‘The Lost World: Jurassic Park’, Geno Silva appears as Carlos, the barge captain who ferries the expedition toward Isla Sorna. It’s a compact turn, but he projects the seasoned competence of someone who knows the ocean—and senses trouble—long before the dinosaurs make it obvious.

Silva died in 2020. Best known for intense, taciturn roles, he brought that same quiet authority to his ‘Jurassic’ appearance, helping sell the film’s boots-on-deck realism.

Jophery C. Brown

A former Major League pitcher turned stunt legend, Jophery C. Brown plays the gate worker in ‘Jurassic Park’s’ white-knuckle opening, the man battling the raptor pen as everything goes sideways. His presence—and the stunt work behind it—set the tone for the film’s ferocity before we even meet the main cast.

Brown died in 2014. His crossover career in stunts and acting left fingerprints on countless action set pieces, and his contribution to that unforgettable prologue helped announce just how dangerous this park really was.

Share your memories of these performers and the moments they made unforgettable in the comments—who moved you most, and why?