The iconic film ‘Jaws’ made its grand debut on June 20th, 1975, captivating audiences and setting a new standard for the thriller genre.
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Roy Scheider, portraying Chief Brody, not only left a mark in “Jaws” but also reprised his role in “Jaws 2”. His stellar career included performances in “All That Jazz”, “Blue Thunder”, and the series “SeaQuest DSV”. Sadly, he passed away in 2008 due to complications from a staph infection, at the age of 75.
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Richard Dreyfuss, who played the role of Matt Hooper, went on to star in numerous critically acclaimed films including “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” and “Mr. Holland’s Opus”. His remarkable performance in “The Goodbye Girl” earned him an Academy Award. Dreyfuss has three children with his ex-wife, Jeramie Rain, and married Svetlana Erokhin in 2006. His diverse career also included portraying Bernie Madoff in a TV miniseries, appearances on “Weeds”, and a recent role in “Into the Deep”.
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Robert Shaw, known for his portrayal of Quint, had an impressive career that included roles in “The Man in the Glass Booth”, “The Deep”, and “Avalanche Express”. Shaw’s personal life was marked by three marriages, producing eight children and adopting two more. He married his third wife, Virginia, in 1976. Tragically, he passed away from a heart attack in 1978 at just 51 years old.
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Lorraine Gary, who played Ellen Brody, reprised her role in “Jaws 2” and made a return to acting for “Jaws: The Revenge”, which earned her a Razzie nomination. Beyond her role in the Jaws franchise, she starred in films such as “Car Wash” and “1941”. Lorraine was married to Universal Pictures</b' president Sidney Sheinberg until his death in 2019, and their children have both pursued careers as producers.
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Susan Backlinie, who portrayed Chrissie Watkins, became known for being the first victim of the shark in Jaws. After her role, she humorously spoofed her character’s demise in “1941” and went on to appear in films like “Day of the Animals”, “Grizzly”, and “The Great Muppet Caper”. Sadly, she passed away on May 11, 2024, at the age of 71 from a heart attack.
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Murray Hamilton, known for his portrayal of Mayor Larry Vaughn, made appearances in sequels such as “Jaws 2”, along with notable roles in “The Drowning Pool”, “The Amityville Horror”, “1941”, and the series “B.J. and the Bear”. Murray tragically succumbed to cancer in 1986 at the age of 63.
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Jeffrey Voorhees, who played Alex Kintner, was one of the youngest victims in the original film. After his role, he appeared in the soap opera “Santa Barbara”. Later, he managed a restaurant on Martha’s Vineyard, the filming location of Jaws, and featured a sandwich named The Alex Kintner Burger on the menu. He has since retired and continues to live on Martha’s Vineyard.
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Lee Fierro, who played Mrs. Kintner, made a cameo appearance in Jaws: The Revenge and dedicated her life to the arts by running the Island Theatre Workshop in Martha’s Vineyard from 1974 until 2017. She eventually relocated to Ohio to be closer to family. Tragically, she passed away due to COVID-19 in April 2020 at the age of 91.
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Chris Rebello, who portrayed Michael Brody, had a brief acting career and appeared in no other films after Jaws. He remained a resident of Martha’s Vineyard and took on the role of assistant coach for the local high school varsity football team. Tragically, he passed away in 2011 at the age of 37 from a heart attack and is survived by his wife Lynn and son James.
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Jonathan Searle, known as the Cardboard Fin Kid, was hired as an extra in the film, playing one of the two children who donned a fake fin to frighten the locals. In 2022, he was appointed as the Oak Bluffs Police Chief, with the Massachusetts State Police noting, “it was indeed destined that a local island boy who played a memorable part in the cultural phenomenon that was ‘Jaws’ should himself grow up to be a police chief on the same island.”
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Jay Mello, who played Sean Brody, did not pursue acting further after his role in the original film. In an interview with PEOPLE, he revealed that he “didn’t return to the water for two years after the film was made,” expressing his disappointment that his character was killed off in a shark attack in “Jaws: The Revenge”. He currently works at a maple syrup company in Vermont.
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Steven Spielberg, the visionary director of Jaws, went on to win multiple Academy Awards for films like “Close Encounters”, “Schindler’s List”, and “Saving Private Ryan”. He directed blockbuster hits such as “E.T.”, “Jurassic Park”, and the Indiana Jones series. Spielberg is a father of seven, having one child with ex-wife Amy Irving and six with his current wife Kate Capshaw. His recent works include “Ready Player One”, “West Side Story”, and “The Fabelmans”.
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The suspenseful sequel, ‘Jaws 2’, premiered on June 16th, 1978, continuing the thrilling legacy of the original film.
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Marc Gilpin, who played Sean Brody in Jaws 2, later appeared in “CHiPs”, “The Legend of the Lone Ranger”, and “She’s Out of Control”. Tragically, he succumbed to brain cancer on July 29, 2023, at the age of 56. His sister, Peri Gilpin, is also an actress known for her role as Roz on Frasier.
Donna Wilkes, who played Jackie Peters, later starred in “Hello, Larry”, “Days of Our Lives”, and played an adolescent hooker in the cult classic “Angel”. Her more recent credits include “90210 Shark Attack” and “Buzz Cut”.
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Gigi Vorgan, known as Brooke Peters, later appeared in “Knots Landing” and began writing health and lifestyle books with her husband, Dr. Gary Small. Together, they have two daughters.
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Gary Springer, who played Andy Nicholas, later appeared in “A Small Circle of Friends” and took over his father’s PR agency, which he currently manages.
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Keith Gordon, known for his role as Doug Fetterman, appeared in notable films such as “Christine”, “All That Jazz”, “Dressed to Kill”, and “Back to School”, which he also wrote. He has since directed episodes for acclaimed series including “House”, “The Killing”, “Fargo”, “Homeland”, and “Dexter”.
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Ann Dusenberry, who played Tina Wilcox, would later appear as Lucille Ball’s daughter on “Life with Lucy” and in films like “Little Women” and “National Lampoon Goes to the Movies”. She is married to composer Brad Fiedel and has two daughters.
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David Elliott, known for playing Larry Vaughn Jr., later starred in the TV movie “Amityville: The Evil Escapes” and worked as a construction coordinator on films like <b“Prom Night”, “Obsessed”, “Burlesque”, and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”.
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Gary Dubin, who played Eddie Marchand, appeared in episodes of “Eight Is Enough”, “V”, and most recently in “Up All Night”. He sadly passed away in 2016 from bone cancer at the age of 57.
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The thrilling sequel ‘Jaws 3-D’ premiered on July 22nd, 1983, adding another layer of excitement to the beloved franchise.
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Dennis Quaid, who portrayed Mike Brody, went on to star in several major films including “The Day After Tomorrow”, “Far From Heaven”, “The Parent Trap”, and more recently in “The Substance”, “Happy Face”, and “Reagan”. He has a son with ex-wife Meg Ryan, actor Jack Quaid, along with twins from his marriage to Kimberly Buffington. In 2020, he married Laura Savoie.
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Bess Armstrong, known for her role as Kay Morgan, later gained prominence in shows like “Married People”, “My So-Called Life”, “One Tree Hill”, “Switched at Birth”, and “House of Lies”. More recently, she made appearances in “I Love That for You”, “Grey’s Anatomy”, and “The Good Doctor”. She shares three children with her husband John Fiedler.
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Lea Thompson, who made her film debut in “Jaws 3D”, later starred in the iconic “Back to the Future” trilogy. She also appeared in the television series “Caroline in the City” and “Switched at Birth”, and directed episodes of popular shows such as “Star Trek: Picard”, “Resident Alien”, “Will Trent”, and “Young Sheldon”. Lea has two daughters with her husband Howard Deutch.
Simon MacCorkindale, known for his role as Philip FitzRoyce, later gained fame in “Falcon Crest”, the Canadian series “Counterstrike”, and BBC’s “Casualty”. He married Susan George in 1984 and sadly passed away from cancer in 2010 at the age of 58.
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Louis Gossett Jr., who played Calvin Bouchard, later starred in the “Iron Eagle” series, “Why Did I Get Married Too?”, and lent his voice to “Captain Planet”. His career includes roles in “Stargate SG-1”, “The Good Fight”, “Extant”, and “Watchmen” before passing away on March 29, 2024, at the age of 87.
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The thrilling conclusion, ‘Jaws: The Revenge’, hit theaters on June 17th, 1978, marking the end of an era in cinematic history.
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Lance Guest, who portrayed Michael Brody, appeared in various TV shows including “The X-Files”, “Becker”, “Jericho”, and “NYPD Blue”, while also starring on Broadway in the musical “Million Dollar Quartet”.
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Judith Barsi, who voiced characters in “The Land Before Time” and “All Dogs Go to Heaven”, faced a tragic end in 1988. Her father, Jozsef, committed a horrific act that resulted in the deaths of both Judith and her mother before taking his own life.
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Michael Caine, who played Hoagie, famously stated he has never seen “Jaws: The Revenge” but acknowledged that “the house that it built” is “terrific.” He went on to star in acclaimed films such as “The Dark Knight” trilogy, “Children of Men”, “Tenet”, and “Inception”. In 2000, he was knighted by the Queen and announced his retirement in 2023, with his last film being “The Great Escaper”.
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Mario Van Peebles, who portrayed Jake, enjoyed a diverse career starring in “New Jack City”, “21 Jump Street”, and “All My Children”. He has directed episodes of “Boss”, and more recently appeared in “Nashville” and “A Million Little Things”. Mario wrote, produced, directed, and starred in Baadasssss!, inspired by his father Melvin Van Peebles, whom he portrayed in the film. He shares five children with his wife Chitra.
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