Alan Grant (Jurassic Park character)

For others of the same name, see Alan Grant.

Alan Grant
Dr. Grant in the first film.
First appearance	Jurassic Park
Last appearance	Jurassic Park III
Created by	Michael Crichton
Portrayed by	Sam Neill
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Title	Dr.
Occupation	Paleontologist

Alan Grant is a fictional character from the Jurassic Park franchise. In the film trilogy he is portrayed by Sam Neill.

Plot

In the Jurassic Park novel, Grant is described as a barrel-chested, forty-year old chief paleontologist. At the time of the InGen incident, and the time of the publication of the book, it can be assumed that Grant was born in either the year 1950 or 1949. In the novel, Grant tells Tim Murphy that he is a widower. In the book, it says he helped describe the Maiasaura with Jack Horner. Actually, Grant is based on Horner himself - one of the scientific advisers for Jurassic Park - rather than on "Bob" Makela (1940-1987), Horner's co-author for Maiasaura.

Grant had uncovered a Velociraptor skeleton in Montana, when he was invited to Jurassic Park, a jungle island where genetically engineered dinosaurs were being created. It was there that he met Tim Murphy, and supposedly becomes good friends with him. He was the one who confirmed the breeding problem in among the Jurassic Park Othnielia, Velociraptor, Maiasaura, Procompsognathus and Hypsilophodon.

Later, he was witness to the Tyrannosaurus escaping its paddock, and subsequently attacking the remainder of the tour group. In the ensuing carnage, Ian Malcolm was severely wounded when the Tyrannosaurus threw him in the air. Shortly following the attack, he escapes with John's grandchildren. Grant and the children successfully crossed the Tyrannosaurus paddock and spend the night in a large tree. When they wake up, they cross over the perimeter fence, make it back to the visitor's center, and reunite with Ellie.

On returning to the Visitor Center, Grant realizes the Velociraptors had escaped, managed to return full electrical power to the park, and contact Hammond. They are once again attacked by the Velociraptors and are saved by the T. rex. The four of them drive off in a jeep along with Hammond and Malcome and finally make it to a helicopter that, once the phones were working, was called by Hammond and they succsesfully leave.

Film version

In the film, Grant initially dislikes children, contrary to the father-like figure in the novel. A major difference between the film and novel is that Grant is involved romantically with Dr. Ellie Sattler. He also has a beard in the book as observed by Tim Murphy. As in the book, he survives the attack by the T-Rex on the tour vehicles and becomes lost in the park with Hammond's grandchildren. He later discovers dinosaur eggs on the journey back to the Visitor Center.

Jurassic Park III

Grant later gave lectures on the intelligence of raptors, and dismissed the Dinosaurs that InGen created as nothing more than "theme park monsters". He also added that nothing could get him to go to Isla Sorna or any of The Five Deaths. The third film shows that although Ellie Sattler and he are still close friends, they are no longer involved. He was later tricked into going there by "wealthy" parents who were supposedly taking an aerial tour of Isla Sorna, when they were actually searching for their son Eric. He encounters a Spinosaurus, and found out just how intelligent raptors really were after his partner Billy stole their eggs. He was rescued when Ellie alerted the Navy and the Marines and Grant is reunited with Billy by the Marines who had found him injured but alive.

Jurassic Park IV

As of 2008, there was word of Sam Neill reprising his role as Alan Grant for Jurassic Park IV even though Neill stated that he was not asked to reprise his character.