How chance encounter with Steven Spielberg changed JAWS actor's life
Whether it’s the leads or supporting, JAWS is packed full of unforgettable characters. A rare successful combination of professional actors and local residents being cast by the wonderful Shari Rhodes to create lightning in a bottle and breathe true life into film’s cinema’s ever summer blockbuster.
Some of the actors only have one line in JAWS and are STILL recognised to this day. One of these supporting stars is Greg Dole. You may not recognise the name, you will definitely remember his line.
In 1974, Greg Dole landed a small part in “Jaws,” which was being shot on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. (Betsy Glick)
Greg, credited as the ‘Sonar Operator’ during the 4th July cardboard fin, beach panic scene worked on JAWS for three weeks. He was the guy who had ‘one job’… to look out for a shark aboard a boat patrolling the waters, protecting the swimmers. As you can see from the screenshot below, he did a terrific job ;0)
Upon spotting the shark, the orginal line as written in the script was simply “Jesus Christ!” A former navy man, Greg was able to add some terminology, giving the line even more authenticity to an already intense situation.
Later in the sequence, Greg can be seen pulling one of the ‘Amity pranksters’ out of the water onto his boat and then (we assume) take them back to shore to be hung up by their Buster Browns.
Early last week, Greg e-mailed Ross from The Daily Jaws saying how much he appreciated the work TDJ was doing and wanted to share his story of working on the movie with JAWS fans. So we set up a Zoom call and spent nearly an hour together.
Ross and Greg sharing a joke during their 30 min interview
Given credit for Spielberg’s work?
Greg was charming and a great storyteller. We talked about his time on JAWS, how Spielberg happened to walk in on his audition at the right time and why Robert Shaw’s retelling of the USS Indianapolis tragedy has a deep personal meaning to all naval personnel.
During the pre-interview prep, Ross discovered someone is giving Greg Dole credit for some of director Steven Spielberg’s work on JAWS. Watch our interview below.
Greg Dole was interviewed by Ross Williams for The Daily Jaws
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About Greg Dole
Gregory Dole is currently Of Counsel to the Hitachi Corporation legal team.
Previously, Dole was the Director, Commercial Trade Policy, in the Washington Office of The Boeing Company from 1989-2017, where he was responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of the company’s commercial aviation trade policy, representing Boeing's interests before the Departments of State, Commerce, Treasury, Transportation, as well as the White House, the United States Trade Representative, and Export-Import Bank.
During his 26 years with Boeing, he served on trade-related steering committees for numerous trade association initiatives, including the National Foreign Trade Council, Aerospace Industries Association, National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S.-Russian Business Council, and the Emergency Committee for American Trade. Mr. Dole was elected eight times to two-year terms as chairman of the Aerospace Industry Trade Advisory Committee, a government-chartered committee providing trade policy advice to the Secretary of Commerce and the United States Trade Representative.
From 1985-1989, Mr. Dole served in the Reagan Administration as Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs and as Associate General Counsel at the Department of Transportation under Secretary Elizabeth Dole. In his capacity as Assistant Secretary, he was the policy advisor to the Secretary on domestic and international transportation matters, with an emphasis on aviation issues.
Mr. Dole also served as staff in the Congress from 1977 to 1982 as a Republican counsel to the House Committee on Appropriations, where he managed the Transportation and Energy and Water Subcommittees.
Prior to his lengthy career in politics and aviation policy, Dole served as a lieutenant in the Navy aboard the U.S.S. Midway (CVA-41), in two nine-month tours of Vietnam between 1970-1973.
Mr. Dole attended and received a degree in economics from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Finance and Commerce. Additionally, he earned a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC.
Before moving to the Nation’s Capitol, Dole, an accomplished thespian hailing from Cape Cod, MA, auditioned and was selected as a principal actor (Coast Guard Sonar Operator) in the iconic 1975 feature film “Jaws,” directed by Steven Spielberg.
You can learn more about Greg here: https://gregorysdole-actorinjaws.godaddysites.com/