Roy Scheider 1932-2008

Simon Brew

Jaws' Police Chief Martin Brody passed away yesterday; Den of Geek pays tribute...

Published on Feb 11, 2008

I first saw Jaws when it popped up on telly in the early 80s, and I was an impressionable child, who was promptly shit-scared of sharks for a long time to come. A terrific film, it’s rightly renowned as one of Spielberg’s finest, and, of course, it pretty much kickstarted the blockbuster movie industry that we know today.

At heart of Jaws is Roy Scheider. As Police Chief Martin Brody, he not only anchors the film, but also got to utter the iconic line “you’re gonna need a bigger boat”. He went on to appear in the sequel, too, and proved to be one of the biggest stars of the 1970s.

Among his other work were his two Oscar-nominated turns: for Best Actor in All That Jazz, and Best Supporting Actor in the terrific The French Connection. Scheider also appeared in some more strong movies: you’ll find him in Klute and Marathon Man, for instance, and he also popped up in the Blue Thunder movie!

In the 90s he was perhaps best known for playing Captain Nathan Bridger in SeaQuest DSV, while also appearing in Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch and Coppola’s The Rainmaker in the same decade. More recently, he’s completed work on two projects, both of which are nearing release – Iron Cross and Dark Honeymoon.

But despite having a body of work that most actors would happily give a limb for, Scheider’s most popular role remains the one where he battle the shark terrorising the beaches of Amity Island. And being remembered for the lead in the world’s first modern day blockbuster isn’t too bad a deal.

Scheider died yesterday at the age of 75. His is a sad loss. But you can bet that he’ll be remembered.

Users Comments

Re: Roy Scheider 1932-2008
Posted By twosheds 1 February 11, 2008 08:25:22 AM

A great movie tough guy who needed better roles later in his career. His death in Marathon Man was one of his finest moments as an actor.

Re: Roy Scheider 1932-2008
Posted By RonHogan 1 February 11, 2008 02:30:55 PM

Brilliant actor; shame he's gone. My script for Jaws V: The Undiscovered Country remains unfinished.

Re: Roy Scheider 1932-2008
Posted By Zokko 1 February 12, 2008 07:11:41 PM

Yes, he was great in 'Jaws', but what is often overlooked is how good he was in 'Jaws 2'. The best thing in it, in fact. His delivery of 'I don't intend to go through that hell again!' was electrifying.