Joseph Mazzello (Actor)

Joseph Mazzello in Jurassic Park. (Photo: Universal)

A bright, expressive child actor of TV and film with impressive range, Joseph Mazzello gained widespread attention as Tim, the grandson of Richard Attenborough, who is beset by dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park" (1993). His previous credits include "Presumed Innocent" (1990) and "Radio Flyer" (1992), as one of two brothers dealing with an abusive alcoholic stepfather. Working with Sir Richard in Spielberg's mammoth blockbuster led to a supporting role in the more modest, Attenborough-directed "Shadowlands" (1993) as the reserved American son of a professor (Debra Winger) who falls in love with writer C.S. Lewis (Anthony Hopkins). He had another illustrious mom, Meryl Streep, in the solid actioner "The River Wild" (1994). One of Hollywood's hottest kid stars, Mazzello starred opposite Louis Gossett Jr. in "A Father for Charlie" (CBS, 1995), a superior TV-movie set in the Ozarks during the Depression. More recently, Mazzello co-starred as the best friend of the title character in "Simon Birch" (1998).