RIP: Roy Scheider

Wow, this is a crummy way to wake up on a Monday morning. Roy Scheider, two-time Oscar nominee and star of JAWS and THE FRENCH CONNECTION, died yesterday after a long battle with myeloma. Scheider had been living with the incurable disease since 2004. Scheider was a New Jersey native and graduated from my alma mater Rutgers University. His first major film role was alongside Jane Fonda in KLUTE, which led to a role in William Friedkin’s THE FRENCH CONNECTION where he was nominated for his first Oscar. Shortly thereafter he was cast in his most iconic role – Chief Martin Brody in Steven Spielberg’s JAWS. Scheider is the unsung hero of Spielberg’s classic, giving the audience someone to relate to amongst the craziness of a giant shark eating beachgoers. Scheider went on to star in JAWS 2, MARATHON MAN, SORCERER and ALL THAT JAZZ for which he was nominated for his second Academy Award. He continued a varied and versatile career throughout the years including THE RAINMAKER, THE PUNISHER and “SeaQuest DSV.” Scheider was 75 years old.