The sudden death of actor Sam Neill prompted tributes from colleagues and fans worldwide. But the news also resonated strongly with many palaeontologists, for whom Neill’s character in Jurassic Park, Dr Alan Grant, was a pivotal inspiration for their career choice.

“I was preparing for a fossil show-and-tell the day I heard the news Dr Grant left us”, says University of Montana palaeontologist and PBS Eons co-host Kallie Moore. “When I dedicated the talk to Sam – holding back tears – I got many sad nods from parents. It’s incredible the reach a fictional character had in palaeontology, because for us 90s kids Dr Grant wasn’t just a character – he became a colleague.”

Moore is just one of many paleontologists around the world who answered the call when we asked how Neill – and his famous movie character – had influenced them. Alan Grant’s fictional colleague Dr Ellie Sattler, played in the movie by Laura Dern, also featured in their memories.

As Australian palaeontologist and science communicator Sally Hurst replied: “On every dinosaur dig I’ve done, from the Cretaceous rocks of Inverloch, Victoria, to the Badlands of Canada or the deserts of Mongolia, there’s always a day where myself or someone else embodies palaeobotanist Dr Ellie Sattler and Dr Alan Grant. For many of us now in this profession, it was those who first showed us that being a palaeontologist was a real job.”

This raises an interesting question: can a movie really inspire scientific careers? Having state-of-the-art special effects dinosaurs always helps. But in this case, we suggest it goes beyond that.

Portraying a relatable scientist

When Dr........

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