10 November 1932 – 10 February 2008American film actor Roy Scheider died last night in Little Rock, Arkansas, after battling cancer since 2004. He was 75.
Scheider made his career breakthrough in the 1970s, finding worldwide fame as Chief Martin Brody in Steven Spielberg's seminal blockbuster Jaws (1975). His career spluttered throughout the 1980s, however – with Blue Thunder (1983) and 2010 (1984) his only memorable output.
In the 1990s, Scheider unsuccessful tried to move into TV by taking the lead in Spielberg-produced underwater sci-fi SeaQuest DSV. The 90s did see Scheider give a few memorable performances, though -- playing against his "everyman" tag in David Cronenberg's Naked Lunch (1991) and The Myth Of Fingerprints (1997). More recently, he starred in Daybreak (2000), Dracula II: Ascension (2003) and The Punisher (2004).
But it's the 70s where Scheider's filmography has its beating heart; Oscar-nominated for a supporting role in The French Connection (1971), appearing in era-defining movie Klute (1971), a role in Marathon Man (1976), and giving a career-best performance in All That Jazz (1979) – which earned him Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations.
However, Scheider will be best remembered as Jaws' Chief Brody -- lean frame, angular face, broken nose, distinctive voice, and sun-bleached skin -- delivering the classic line "we're gonna need a bigger boat" when that shark lunges up at him from its watery depths.
Roy Scheider is survived by his wife Brenda Siemer Scheider and three children; Maximillia, Christian and Molly.
A rather nice article on Roy Scheider's career can be read at The New York Times here.
