You’ve seen the memes. The red hair, the white suit, and those infamous nude pumps sprinting across a jungle floor while a Tyrannosaurus Rex breathes down her neck. For a long time, that image defined Bryce Dallas Howard’s tenure in the Jurassic World trilogy. But honestly? If you only look at the footwear, you’re missing the most interesting parts of her decade-long journey with Claire Dearing.
When Bryce Dallas Howard first stepped onto the Isla Nublar set in 2014, she wasn't just playing a "corporate lady in a suit." She was entering a franchise that would eventually see her fighting for pay equity, performing grueling stunts that left her purple with bruises, and navigating a character arc that shifted from a cold numbers-cruncher to a radicalized dinosaur activist.
It’s been a wild ride. And now that the franchise is pivoting toward a reboot with Jurassic World Rebirth (starring Scarlett Johansson), it’s the perfect time to look at what really happened behind the scenes with Bryce and the dinosaurs.
The Pay Gap That Was Worse Than Reported
Back in 2018, a Variety report started making the rounds claiming that Bryce Dallas Howard was paid $8 million for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, while Chris Pratt took home $10 million. On paper, a $2 million gap is significant, but Bryce later set the record straight: it was actually much worse.
"The reports were so interesting because I was paid so much less than the reports even said, so much less," she told Insider in 2022. Because she signed her three-picture deal in 2014—a time she describes as a "different world" for women in Hollywood—her salary was locked in at a disadvantageous rate.
Basically, she was stuck. But this is where the story gets a bit more nuanced.
Instead of a typical Hollywood feud, she found an ally in Pratt. Whenever there was an opportunity to negotiate for things not covered in that original 2014 contract—think video games, theme park rides, or "Jurassic World: The Exhibition"—Pratt took the lead. He reportedly told her, "You guys don't even have to do anything. I’m going to do all the negotiating. We’re going to be paid the same."
It’s a rare look at how "star power" can actually be used to level a playing field. Bryce has been vocal about the fact that she’s made more from those ancillary franchise deals than she ever did from the actual movies.
The Heels Controversy: "I Don't Want to Be Barefoot"
Let’s talk about those shoes. The internet went into a meltdown over Claire Dearing running from an Indominus Rex in 3.5-inch heels. People called it sexist; they called it unrealistic.
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But here’s the thing: it was Bryce’s choice.
Director Colin Trevorrow actually suggested she take them off. He told her she could do the jungle scenes barefoot. Bryce, being a realist about actual jungle floors, refused. She pointed out that running barefoot in a muddy, vine-choked environment would be significantly more dangerous and painful than staying in the shoes she’d already broken in.
She actually trained for it. To prepare, she had slanted boards built to practice calf exercises and balance. "Basically, all that it is, is running on your tippy-toes," she once explained.
By the time Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom rolled around, Claire had traded the pumps for sturdy boots. But in the first film, those heels were a character choice. They represented a woman who was totally out of her element—someone who thought her corporate armor could protect her from the primal chaos of a dinosaur breakout.
Stunts, Bruises, and the Physical Toll
If you think the action was all CGI, you should check out the photos Bryce posted from the set of Jurassic World Dominion. We're talking massive, deep-purple contusions covering her arms and thighs.
Filming Dominion was particularly intense. Because it was one of the first major blockbusters to film during the 2020 pandemic, the cast lived in a "bubble" for months. The physical demands didn't let up. From a terrifying sequence where she parachutes into a forest to a tense crawl through a swamp to evade a Therizinosaurus, Bryce did the heavy lifting.
She’s often mentioned that working with animatronics—like the dying Apatosaurus in the first film—made the acting easier because the threat felt real. But the bruises? Those were definitely real.
Moving From the Elevator to the Director’s Chair
If you’ve watched all three films, you might have noticed a weird pattern. In both Jurassic World and Fallen Kingdom, Claire Dearing is introduced the exact same way: in an elevator.
By the third movie, Dominion, Bryce wanted to break the mold. She actually pushed for Claire to have a "badass undercut"—a partially shaved head to show how much she’d changed into a hardened activist. Trevorrow wasn't sure about the haircut, but they compromised. Instead of an elevator, Claire is introduced in the shadows, pulling back a hood.
This level of creative input isn't surprising given Bryce's second career as a director. While she was starring in the Jurassic films, she was also becoming a heavyweight director in the Star Wars universe, helming standout episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.
Fans have been begging for her to direct a Jurassic movie, but she’s been surprisingly humble about it. She’s said that while she’d love to, she thinks it’s important for "new storytellers" to step into the franchise.
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What’s Next: The Future of Claire Dearing
So, is she done with dinosaurs?
With Jurassic World Rebirth scheduled for 2025, the franchise is moving on to a new cast. Bryce has been incredibly supportive, recently saying she’ll be "there in the theater opening day." She’s even said the door is "always open" to return, maybe in 20 years, much like Laura Dern and Sam Neill did for Dominion.
But for now, her legacy is set. She took a character that could have been a flat archetype and made her the emotional backbone of a $3 billion trilogy.
Key Takeaways for Fans
If you're following Bryce Dallas Howard’s career or the Jurassic franchise, here are the real-world insights to keep in mind:
- Pay Equity Matters: Bryce’s experience shows how "locked-in" three-picture deals can disadvantage actors as their value grows. Always look for "favored nations" clauses in contracts to ensure equal pay.
- Creative Autonomy: The "heels" debate proves that sometimes what looks like a studio mandate is actually an actor's calculated choice for character or safety.
- The Power of Collaboration: Chris Pratt’s move to negotiate on Bryce’s behalf is a blueprint for how established stars can support their colleagues.
- Career Pivoting: Bryce used her time on massive blockbusters to learn the ropes of high-end VFX directing, which she then applied to her award-winning work in the Star Wars universe.
If you want to see her in action without the dinosaurs, check out her directing work on The Mandalorian—specifically the episode "The Heiress." It shows exactly why she's one of the most respected names in the industry right now, both in front of and behind the camera.