Why Jaws star Roy Scheider didn't want to return as Chief Brody

Hello Islanders!

For more than four decades, there have been numerous tales about the love/hate affair that Roy Scheider had with the “Jaws” series, most notably “Jaws 2.” Some are true, others based in fantasy. Today we’re going to put the record straight.

All three major players in “Jaws” – Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss – signed contracts with Universal for their services. However, while Shaw and Dreyfuss signed on just for “Jaws,” Scheider signed a contract for not only “Jaws” but for three additional films for the studio. This was done for two reasons. First, should the film be a success, and they wanted to do a sequel, they would already have Scheider under contract at a pre-agreed to salary. Second, should Scheider become a success, they had the opportunity to put him in three more movies featuring him as the star and, again, at a pre-agreed to salary. This did not mean that Scheider’s next three films would be at Universal, just that he owed them three films in the future.

Jaws stars Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss

Scheider’s first film under the Universal contract was William Friedkin’s “Sorcerer,” an updated version of the French film “Wages of Fear.” A co-production between Universal and Paramount, “Sorcerer” tells the tale of four desperate men who, on the run for their lives, leave their homes to live and work in a remote jungle village. When an opportunity comes to better their situation – they have to drive trucks over horrible terrain to deliver very volatile supplies of dynamite – they set out on a harrowing journey that….well, I won’t spoil it for you. The film was well received by some critics but it never found an audience. More on that later.

Next up on the Universal contract, Scheider agreed to play Merle (later changed to Michael) in Michael Cimino’s “The Deer Hunter.” However, in pre-production, a major script change occurred (possible SPOILER ALERT to follow). Originally it was the Merle/Michael character (played in the finished film by Robert DeNiro) who remains in Vietnam, slowly losing touch with reality by playing Russian Roulette for money. However, the decision was made to have the character Nick (Christopher Walken in an Oscar-winning performance) be the one to remain behind. Scheider was not happy with the change and left the project.

It was right around the same time that Universal decided to do a sequel to “Jaws.” They reached out to Scheider, who turned them down. He was not interested in a sequel. But Universal was persistent. They kept offering Scheider films they knew he wouldn’t do, in the hopes that he would just say, “the hell with it, I’ll do “Jaws 2.” But that never happened.

As the pre-production process began on “Jaws 2,” the studio continued to hound Scheider, telling him that if he didn’t do the film they’d have to hire someone else to play Chief Brody. Eventually Universal made an offer Scheider could not refuse. The studio agreed to count “Jaws 2” as two films, thus fulfilling his contract. They also gave him a substantial pay raise over the previously agreed upon salary. With those stipulations, and deep in his heart not wanting to see another actor in the role, Scheider agreed to return to Amity Island.

As production started, with director John D. Hancock at the helm, things went well early on. Scheider was happy with the script and the way it explored the mental anguish that Brody dealt with on an almost daily basis. Then, unexpectedly, Hancock was let go. As his wife, Dorothy Tristan, had co-written the “Jaws 2” script (with Howard Sackler) the decision was made to bring Carl Gottlieb back to work on the story while a new director was found.

Roy Scheider shares a scene with Murray Hamilton (centre) and JAWS screenwriter Carl Gottlieb (right)

The summer of 1977 was not a good one for Roy Scheider. “Sorcerer” had opened and had tanked at the box office. In my mind, it failed for two reasons. First, as the four men featured in the film are from all over the world, the first 20=plus minutes of the film is in a foreign language (not English). This confused many in the audience, who thought they had stumbled into a foreign film. A week after opening, theatre lobbies displayed posters informing the audience that, despite a few early moments in the film, it was indeed in English. Secondly, the film was hit by the phenomenon known as “Star Wars.” George Lucas’ film dominated the movie-going experience that summer, leaving most films behind as it rocketed with light speed to become the most successful film ever (at the time). Scheider’s dismay at the failure of “Sorcerer” was two-fold. He had personally paid for special advertising to be run in the newspapers of many of the country’s major cities, heralding his performance in the film.

By the time director Jeannot Szwarc was hired to take over “Jaws 2,” the failure of “Sorcerer” weighed heavily on Scheider. When production resumed, he took out his frustrations on others on the set, especially Szwarc, who Scheider would constantly refer to as a “t.v. director.” He complained loudly that others in the cast, especially Lorraine Gary, were getting more close-ups. He made sure that everyone around him knew he was not happy doing the film. A meeting between Scheider, Szwarc, Verna Fields and David Brown, called to settle the issues, turned into a free-for-all, with a punch being thrown. It ended with Brown physically restraining Szwarc while Fields sat on Scheider so he couldn’t get to the director. Despite the difficulties, the film was finished and everyone went off in their separate directions.

As I re-read what I’ve written, I realize I may have given the impression that Scheider tanked his performance. Nothing could be further from the truth. He gives an outstanding performance in “Jaws 2,” a testament to his talents, and seemed pleased with the final film. He sent me a letter in the spring of 1978 telling me that he had just completed the sound looping on “Jaws 2” and that “there is plenty of yours truly on screen.” That being said, as he did press for the film, he would often note that he did not want to do the film and that he was done with the “Jaws” series. On the ABC television program “20/20,” which aired a few days before “Jaws 2” debuted, Scheider is interviewed while sitting on a bridge over a body of water. When the reporter asks him if he would do another “Jaws” film, Scheider answers by pretending to climb over the bridge railing. He turned down reprising the role in the never filmed John Hughes film “Jaws 3, People 0” as well as “Jaws the Revenge,” which may have been the smartest decision he ever made. Still, Scheider was proud of his “Jaws” legacy and genuinely embraced it.

Words by Michael A Smith. Michael is co-author of Jaws 2: The Making Of The Hollywood Sequel. You can order the book by contacting Michael at OsFanMike@aol.com.

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