HOW THE CAST AND CREW OF THE SHARK IS BROKEN ARE CONNECTED TO JAWS DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBERG
With a West End play about the behind the scenes goings on during the filming of Jaws, the link to Steven Spielberg is fairly obvious, but those involved in the smash hit play - which has now had its run extended to February 13, 2022 - are also linked to the bearded director in other ways.
Ian Shaw as Robert Shaw
Ian Shaw's link to Spielberg and Jaws is perhaps the strongest, not only with his dad playing one of the lead characters, Quint, but Ian also got to visit Martha's Vineyard - doubling as Amity Island - and even got to meet Bruce.
That little Ian Shaw sabotaged the mechanical shark at that moment, knowing almost 50 years later that he'd write and star in a play about it all as a result, is completely unfounded.
Spielberg would go on to direct War Horse for the big screen, with Shaw appearing in the popular stage version.
And, Ian also shares his birthday with director Steven Spielberg. Both were born on December 18, perhaps The Shark Is Broken was written in the stars after all?
Ian would also find a link to his dad and Jaws through a docudrama, Hiroshma. He was playing the pilot who delivered 'the bomb' that the crew of the USS Indianapolis had just delivered, prior to it sinking and its crew being attacked by sharks.
FURTHER READING:
QUINT-UM LEAP: WHEN JAWS STAR ROBERT SHAW DELIVERED THE BOMB TO HIS SON, IAN SHAW
Demetri Goritsas as Roy Scheider
Watching the Roy Scheider actor in interviews, he certainly knows his stuff about Jaws, but what you might not know is that Demetri has actually been in a Steven Spielberg film. He played Parker in the Tom Hanks World War 2 epic, Saving Private Ryan (1998).
That film gave a new dimension to horror on the beaches.
Goritsas' first experience of watching Jaws was the night before his audition for The Shark Is Broken: ROY SCHEIDER ACTOR ONLY SAW JAWS NIGHT BEFORE THE SHARK IS BROKEN AUDITION
Liam Murray Scott as Richard Dreyfuss
Murray Scott makes his West End debut in The Shark Is Broken, but his career so far has seen him appear in a wide range of productions, one of which saw him appearing as George Bailey in a stage version of the Christmas favourite, It's A Wonderful Life.
It is of course based on the beloved Frank Capra classic starring James Stewart, and is linked to Spielberg as it is one of four films that the famous director watches before he embarks on any project.
Those four films tend to be The Seven Samurai, Lawrence Of Arabia, It’s A Wonderful Life and The Searchers. Not a bad list for this vicinity.
Guy Masterson, director of The Shark Is Broken
Masterson, who is also an accomplished actor, is the nephew of the late great Richard Burton. Burton starred alongside Clint Eastwood and Mary Ure, the mum of Ian Shaw, in the classic war adventure Where Eagles Dare (1968).
But the Spielberg link is more out of this world, well more The War of the Worlds. Richard Burton lent his unmistakable tones to the classic musical version by Jeff Wayne, based on the book by H. G. Wells.
Spielberg made his own updated version of the science-fiction classic in 2005 with Tom Cruise. But there is also another Jaws link, the character of Cassidy - who is too drunk to go in the water with Chrissie and is with Chief Brody the next morning when her remains are discovered on the beach - is played by Jonathan Filley.
That discovery scene - with Roy Scheider and Jeffrey Kramer - was actually the very first day of filming on Jaws: May 2nd 1974 Principal Photography Begins On Jaws
He's now a production manager on films, and did that role on Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds.
Words by Dean Newman
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