Ode to Roy Scheider

Roy Scheider: 1932 - 2008

I don't usually take note of celebrity passings, but this one made me pause.

Of all the movies from my childhood, Jaws (1975) had the biggest effect on me. It ranks up there with Ghostbusters, Condorman and Jurassic Park as Life-Defining.

Jaws indulged my love of sharks, introduced me to special effects and taught me to swear.

This was the coolest movie to a 9-years-old. And Police Chief Martin Brody (Scheider) was my hero.

Scheider's portrayal of the grizzled Amity Island cop / shark hunter inspired me with the ability to be strong and fight against forces larger than oneself (the shark being a metaphor!)

Scheider's death (due to multiple myeloma) is the loss of a childhood hero for me. A good actor, he was nominated for two Academy Awards (for All That Jazz and The French Connection).

Goodbye, Roy.



Hooper: [singing] Show me the way to go home / I'm tired and I want to go to bed....
Hooper, Quint, and Brody: [all singing together] I had a little drink about an hour ago and it got right to my head / Wherever I may roam / by land or sea or foam...


Brody: You're gonna need a bigger boat.