Why Jeff Goldblum 'Jumped at the Chance' to Narrate the Thrilling New N.Y.C. Attraction RiseNY

The actor chats with PEOPLE about a new simulator attraction in the Big Apple that takes riders on an aerial journey over the city — and his own new adventures

By

Jen Juneau

Published on March 2, 2022 03:52 PM

Much of Jeff Goldblum's work is in Los Angeles, but New York City has always had a big piece of his heart.

"I've always been romantic about New York," the actor tells PEOPLE. It's part of why he wanted to be part of RiseNY, a new simulation attraction in the Big Apple that takes visitors on "a soaring ride," allowing them to experience N.Y.C. "from a bird's-eye view, paired with museum exhibit galleries saluting iconic aspects of the city," according to a press release.

Goldblum, 69, narrates a film accompaniment to the ride, by documentarians Ric Burns and James Sanders, whom he is a big fan of — particularly, of their 17½-hour New York: A Documentary Film, which the actor tells PEOPLE he has watched "twice all the way through."

As for his affinity for the metropolis, he says that although he grew up in Pittsburgh, he remembers taking family vacations to N.Y.C. as a kid and being enthralled. He moved there for four years after graduating high school and worked on Broadway several times over the years.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

So when he got the call asking him to narrate, "I jumped at the chance," Goldblum says. "And then I got a little preview of what the whole thing was with this experience of flying over New York with the sights and smells and sounds of New York, and saw some of the museum stuff."

"I thought it was great. I'm excited to be part of it," adds the Jurassic World Dominion star.

Travel is close to Goldblum's heart, as well — and something he has done quite a bit of for his Disney+ series The World According to Jeff Goldblum, which dropped its second season in November.

"It was a full plate and I feel entirely satisfied, and inflamed with further curiosity," he tells PEOPLE of the latest season. "I don't know where that will lead me, whether it's back to more episodes of that or not, but I just had a great time."

While it's tough for him to pick a favorite episode, The Fly actor admits, "I get choked up whenever I talk about and they make use of some of those old family albums and home movies that I gave them."

"When my parents or brothers and sister appear, and I appear as a baby, some of it is a little bit of my story and how I came to any of these [show topics]," Goldblum says. "Whether it's ice cream or backyards or whatever it is. So those are delightful to me, but it was so educational too."

Next for Goldblum is reprising his role as Dr. Ian Malcolm once again in Jurassic World Dominion, out this summer, and gearing up for a series of musical performances with The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, starting with a Las Vegas show on March 11.

"I'm nothing if not disciplined, and I do my whole workload, some of my homework, and keep trying to get better," he tells PEOPLE of his music.

RiseNY is now open to the public, with tickets available on RiseNY.co.