Roy Scheider, 1932-2008
Actor Roy Scheider has died . He is probably best known for his role as the police chief in Jaws, but he did many other films and stage productions in his career. (I absolutely loved his performance in All That Jazz, a movie I haven't seen in years now.)
Roy Scheider, a stage actor with a background in the classics who became one of the leading figures in the American film renaissance of the 1970s, died on Sunday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark. He was 75 and lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y.
Mr. Scheider had suffered from multiple myeloma for several years, and died of complications from a staph infection, his wife, Brenda Seimer, said.
Mr. Scheider’s rangy figure, gaunt face and emotional openness made him particularly appealing in everyman roles, most famously as the agonized police chief of “Jaws,” Steven Spielberg’s 1975 breakthrough hit, about a New England resort town haunted by the knowledge that a killer shark is preying on the local beaches.
Rest in peace.
By clifto, Monday, 11 February , 2008 @ 8:00 am
I watch All That Jazz every few months. I wish I could remember the names of all the movies I’ve seen Scheider in. I loved his performances. (Never saw “Jaws” myself.)
By Sarge, Monday, 11 February , 2008 @ 8:36 am
I think I was about eight years old when I saw “Jaws” the first time. You’d think that being so young, the scenes with the gigantic shark would be my favorites, but it was the scene where Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), Brody (Scheider), and Quint (Robert Shaw in the role of his life) get drunk and compare scars that captivated me even then. I still rate that film in my top five all-time favorites (almost twenty years later I still have an anxiety attack every time I’m in water deeper than five feet). Maybe it’s silly, but I’m honestly very sad that “Chief Brody” is no longer out there.
By Maggie, Monday, 11 February , 2008 @ 8:56 pm
Just a few of the bigger named movies he did:
Klute - 1971
The French Connection - 1971
The Seven-Ups - 1973
Jaws - 1975
Marathon Man - 1976
Jaws 2 - 1978
All That Jazz - 1979
Still Of The Night- 1982
Blue Thunder - 1983
2010: The Year We Make Contact - 1984
52 Pick-Up - 1986
And there are at least two in post-production:
Iron Cross
Dark Honeymoon
Sorry if this comment posts 2x
By Gaius, Monday, 11 February , 2008 @ 9:17 pm
I have no idea why that got trapped in the spam filter, but I pulled it back out, Maggie.
By Yuri, Monday, 11 February , 2008 @ 10:56 pm
So sad. Liked the guy a lot. Great dramatic actor. (”Showtime!”) Always thought he’s wasting himself on the action roles, but even some of those were fun.
By wheels, Tuesday, 12 February , 2008 @ 8:34 am
“All That Jazz” is a wonderful film. I just watched it again a few months ago. To tell you the truth, though, the only other films listed above that I’ve seen are 2010 and The French Connection. I should probably try to see some of his other work; I do like him.