Goldblum made his acting film debut in Death Wish (1974) with early small roles in California Split (1974), Nashville (1975), and Annie Hall (1977).

Since then, he has been best-known for his roles in several blockbuster franchises, such as Ian Malcolm in the Jurassic Park franchise, David Levinson in the Independence Day films, Grandmaster in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films such as Thor: Ragnarok (2017) and more recently, as the Wizard of Oz in Wicked (2024) and Wicked: For Good (2025).

Frequent collaborator of director Wes Anderson, he has starred in his films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), Isle of Dogs (2018), and Asteroid City (2023).

Jeffrey Lynn Goldblum was born to Jewish parents in West Homestead, Pennsylvania, located just outside of Pittsburgh.

[3][4] His mother, Shirley Jane Goldblum (née Temeles; October 30, 1926 – January 9, 2012),[5] was a radio broadcaster who later ran a kitchen equipment and appliances sales firm; his father, Harold Leonard Goldblum (April 25, 1920 – February 23, 1983), was a physician and major in the U.S. Army during World War II.

His other brother, Rick, whom Goldblum has described as a "kind of hero of mine", died in 1971 at age 23 while travelling in Morocco, having contracted dysentery which led to kidney failure.

Actress Edie Adams, Kovacs' second wife and his widow, made a cameo appearance in the well-received movie.

Goldblum's supporting roles include Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), The Big Chill (1983), The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension (1984), Independence Day (1996), and Igby Goes Down (2002), as well as the Wes Anderson films The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and Asteroid City (2023).

It was with several actors from this acting company that he improvised and directed the live action short film Little Surprises, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 1996.

He made a guest appearance on Sesame Street in 1990 as Bob's long-lost brother Minneapolis (parody of Indiana Jones), in a sketch where Big Bird's friend Mr. Snuffleupagus had "the golden cabbage of Snuffertiti" hidden in his cave.

In August 2010, media outlets reported that Goldblum had decided not to return to Criminal Intent due to persistent concerns about the program's future.

[30] In July 2018, a 25 ft (7.6m) statue of Goldblum was erected next to London's Tower Bridge as a temporary installation in order to mark 25 years since the release of Jurassic Park.

[33] In October 2022, it was reported that Goldblum was in final talks to play the Wizard in the two-part film adaptation of the musical Wicked.