The above line was so perfectly delivered by Amity Police Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) in the 1975 thriller Jaws. Scheider is probably most recognized for his role as Martin Brody in the first two installments of the Jaws series, but he had several other prominent roles including two Academy Award nominations. Scheider passed away this weekend at the age of 75 in Fayetteville Arkansas.
Scheider was a hard working actor on the New York theatre scene and small movies roles in the 60’s when he broke through in Jane Fonda’s thriller Klute. Later that same year, 1971, he co-starred along side Gene Hackman in the award winning French Connection portraying real life detective Sonny Grasso. For his part he was nominated for an Academy Award, as was Hackman. Scheider went on to make Jaws a few years later were he became a pop culture legend as Chief Brody. His famous line, above, was ad- libbed by Scheider during the filming and was voted the #35 greatest movie line by the American Film Institute. His string of quality roles continued as he played along side Dustin Hoffman in cold war espionage thriller Marathon Man and then starred as a fictional version of director Bob Fosse in All that Jazz. He was nominated for his second Academy Award for his role in All That Jazz this time losing out to his buddy Dustin Hoffman.
It was during this run of success where Scheider made two terrible decisions. First he disagreed with the script in the 1978 war drama The Deer Hunter and asked to be relieved of the role, which was later taken by Robert DeNiro who was nominated for an Academy Award for the role. In the early 80’s he also turned down the first chance to play Vietnam War vet John Rambo in First Blood.
As the 80’s went on he fell out of the mainstream of Hollywood. However, Scheider resurfaced in the mid 90’s in Steven Spielbergs sci-fi under water adventure seaquest-DSV. The series was short lived, partly due to Scheiders disapproval with the direction of the show, which led to his abrupt departure. Scheider had small roles in The Rainmaker, the HBO drama RKO 281, The Punisher and a reoccurring guest role on the TV drama Third Watch.
Scheider will forever be remembered for his role in Jaws, but he was a talented actor who always added to any movie through his professionalism and acting ability. Scheiders career may not be as distinguished as others, but his popular films and award nominated roles will live on with the fans of quality actors. Unfortunately the death of a good actor like Scheider went widely unnoticed while Mathew McConaughey’s Fools Gold tops the box office this weekend, followed by other top notch films like Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins and Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour (which of course could be a hermaphroditic porn, but I doubt it).
Roy Richard Scheider Nov. 10, 1932-Feb. 10, 2008
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11 comments:
The Miley Cyrus movie made $31 million playing on less than 1,000 screens, which is both a record and a national embarrassment.
If those teenage girls wanted a 3D movie, they would have been better off watching the French Connection. Actually, shit, can we get them to show the French Connection in 3D? That would rule.
I saw Dan buying a ticket to the 3D version of High School Musical.
I had no idea that Roy Scheider passed on Rambo and the DeNiro character from The Deer Hunter. I can't see him in either role.
You only saw me because you were on line ahead of me. And who was that little boy with you? And why did he look so scared?
I was on line ahead of you buying a ticket to the 3D version of the Rambo/Deer Hunter double-header. The little boy was Reinitz. He looked scared because Rambo knives and Russian roulette scare him.
In other Miley Cyrus news, about 4 years ago we went to play our yearly game at Rupp Arena and the national anthem singer was non other than captain Mullet himself, Billy Ray Cyrus.
GAYEST POST AND FOLLOW UP COMMENST EVER!!!!!!!!!!!
Danny
My fans asked for a fitting tribute and obit on Roy Scheider, so I obliged. If there is a topic you would like myself or one of the other writers to cover please ask and we shall doit, well except if it has anything to do with how "great" the Mets are going to be this year.
The fact that he died in Fayetteville Arkansas makes me lose all, if any respect I had for the man? Have you ever been to Fayetteville? I know people who are moving from there to OXFORD, MS! How can you possibly want to live in Oxford, MS?
Can we get some penguin commentary going for Yurrie? Thanks.
Can we get some commentary on why USC can lose at Rupp by like 5 and lose twice to Vandy by a total of like 4, but Vandy can put an ass-whippin like that on UK? Kris, any ideas? Shouldn't you guys have maybe won one of those three games, maybe against Kentucky? Maybe? We can beat Kentucky. Why can't you?
Kid P
I heard a guy on TV reference Andy Pettitte's testimony as the Pettitte file.... which made me laugh because when he said it fast it sound like Pedophile!!!
Penguins discussion would be great. Miley Cyrus chattering...not so much!
I would like a post created about how nobody cares about the college basketball season anymore and how absolutely irrelevant it is!
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