Actor Roy Scheider passed away Sunday at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock. He was 75. The cause of death was complications arising from a Staph infection.
RS was best known as Chief Brody in JAWS, a role for which he was not the first choice. The role had initially been offered to Charlton Heston.
Perhaps his most famous line from the movie, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” was actually not scripted, but adlibbed by Scheider. That line was, in 2005, landed the No. spot 35 on the American Film Institute’s list of best quotes from U.S. movies.
During his long career, RS netted two Oscar nominations, a best actor nod for 1979’s All That Jazz (Also a role he was not the first choice for, his Jaws co-star Richard Dreyfuss was originally slated to play Joe Gideon) and one for best supporting actor for 1971’s The French Connection in which he played the partner of Oscar winner Gene Hackman’s Popeye Doyle.
His career included theater work as well as 65 films including 2010, Marathon Man, Jaws 2, 52 Pick-up and The Rainmaker.
He also starred, on NBC, in Seaquest 2032 from 1993-95.
Throughout his life, Scheider was politically active and, in recent years, had participated in numerous rallies against the U.S. war in Iraq.
His final film was Iron Cross, which is currently in post production and is expected to be released later this year.
