Monday, February 11, 2008

Roy Scheider 1932-2008

Tough-guy actor Roy Scheider, best known as police chief Martin Brody in Steven Speilberg's 1975 breakout picture Jaws, passed away last night at age 75, reportedly of complications from a staph infection.
A New Jersey kid at heart, Scheider was a boxer in his youth and actually made his acting debut starring in the 1963 horror flick Curse of the Living Corpse. Supporting roles in 1971's Klute and The French Connection made him a star, but he'll always be known for his part alongside Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss in Speilberg's monster shark film, in which he uttered the immortal line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat." He earned an Oscar nomination for his lead performance in All That Jazz (1979).
Genre fans will also remember him for taking over the role of Heywood Floyd in 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the 1984 sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey; for his starring turn in the troubled 1990s sci-fi series SeaQuest DSV; and most recently for playing Frank Castle's father in The Punisher (2004).

Farewell and adieu to ye fair Spanish ladies,
Farewell and adieu, ye ladies of Spain.
For we've received orders to sail back to Boston,
And so nevermore shall we see you again.