Actor Roy Scheider, a two-time Oscar nominee best known for his leading role as the water-phobic police chief in the smash blockbuster Jaws, died Sunday in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences hospital; he was 75.
Though an official cause of death was not released at press time, a hospital spokeswoman stated that the actor had been treated for multiple myeloma at the hospital's research center for the past two years.
Born in New Jersey, Scheider pursued a career in boxing before turning to acting, and won an Obie award for his work with the New York Shakespeare Festival in the late '60s.
His first major film appearances also began in the late '60s in such movies as Star! and Paper Lion, and it was in 1971 that he truly gained fame for his roles two popular thrillers, Klute and The French Connection; the latter earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. However, it was his role four years later in the Steven Spielberg thriller Jaws for which he became most well-known, playing a local lawman in a tourist beach town who must contend with the sudden appearance of a great white shark; his line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat," became one of the most well-known lines in contemporary film.
[imdb]
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Comments (2)
You're gonna need a bigger ... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Stevie the K | February 11, 2008 2:29 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
You're gonna need a bigger boat... over the river Styx.
RIP.
1. Posted by Stevie the K | February 11, 2008 2:29 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 11, 2008 14:29
2. Posted by Green | February 13, 2008 9:20 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
A great pity we have lost another great. I am very sympathetic toward his family and friends. And wish my kindest condolences. I'll miss him - he was one of my favorite small movie actors. The Last Embrace had wonderful chemistry between him and the late Janet Margolin. And he was marvelously driven and merciless in 52 Pick-up: dealstudio.com/searchdeals.php?deal_id=83341&ru=279 , His voice was also extremely distinctive, with lots of sharp notes in his intonations. Mr Scheider - you shall be missed...
2. Posted by Green | February 13, 2008 9:20 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 13, 2008 21:20