I always found Roy Scheider creepy, and I mean that as a compliment. The veteran character actor, who died yesterday at 75, may be best remembered for starring as the befuddled Chief Brody in Jaws, but throughout his celebrated four-decade film career, he always brought a dark edginess to his roles. (Even in his essentially comic Jaws performance, he displays the fidgety desperation of a man clearly in over his head.) Scheider specialized in playing tough, wiry, cynical, worldly-wise guys like cops, spies, gangsters, and politicians. He first gained notice as Jane Fonda’s pimp in Klute (1971) and earned his first Oscar nomination as Gene Hackman’s equally hard-boiled police partner in The French Connection the same year. He wasn’t afraid to be unlikable on screen; his second Oscar nod (and his crowning career achievement) was his performance as the womanizing jerk genius (pictured) in Bob Fosse’s semi-autobiographical All That Jazz (1979).
The ’70s were Scheider’s decade, full of meaty roles like these, as well as such grimy classic thrillers as The Seven-Ups (1973), Marathon Man (1976), and Sorcerer (1977). Scheider continued to do fine work after that, working consistently in mostly unmemorable films, though there were some standouts — sci-fi sequel 2010 (1984), Elmore Leonard adaptation 52 Pick-Up (1986), the surreal Naked Lunch (1991, featuring what may have been the creepiest role of Scheider’s career, as the reptilian Dr. Benway), and family drama The Myth of Fingerprints (1997), where he played a patriarch who hits on his son’s girlfriend. Like so many of Scheider’s roles, it was a performance oozing with oily, rancid charm. He made moviegoers shudder, often with revulsion, always with delight.
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All I’ve thought of since I heard this sad news was the last scene in All That Jazz.
Well, that and “he’s gonna need a bigger boat.”
No love for Blue Thunder? Aside from Jaws, that was probably his biggest hit.
I’m sorry top report that but I liked him in Seaquest!!!
Pai, that last scene in “All That Jazz” was a suitable send-off, no? He gave a ridiculously good performance in that movie.
I second “Blue Thunder”. Not only did it become a short lived cult cop drama, but Roy really stood out in that film. RIP Mr. Scheider.
Roy Scheider was one of my favorite actor from the past three decades. The star of THE FRENCH CONNECTION (still my favorite cop thriller of all time!), JAWS, SORCERER, JAWS 2, ALL THAT JAZZ, BLUE THUNDER and 2010 always seemed to have memorable dialogue from his films, in addition to, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat.”. I will also remember him from JAWS 2 with this one: “I know what a shark looks like ’cause I’ve seen one up close! And you better do something about this one, because I don’t intend to go through that hell again!”
I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with Roy Scheider in 1997 in front of a movie theater in Southampton, Long Island, having just seen L.A. CONFIDENTIAL. He was a pleasure to talk to and actually seemed impressed with me when I told him what I did for a living (architect). I will sincerely miss him and will look upon (most of) his movies with greater affection and appreciation.
Most people look at me like I’m a crazy person when i say one of my all-time favourite movies is All That Jazz. But I love that movie, and Roy Scheider just owned it. An amazing performance.
Ditto the love for Seaquest DSV. Other than the talking dolphin, that show was terrific.
Jaws is maybe my all-time favorite movie and one of the biggest reasons is the great characters. If I was ever a police chief in a small vacation community, I’d want to be Chief Brody. Rest in peace, Roy. You were awesome!
Jaws is maybe my all-time favorite movie and one of the biggest reasons is the great characters. If I was ever a police chief in a small vacation community, I’d want to be Chief Brody. Rest in peace, Roy. You were awesome!
he was perfect in All That Jazz and that ending is one of the best endings in film history.
I always thought that Roy Scheider was on of the sexiest man in movies. I loved him in Jaws of course, especially with those sexy short shorts(he had some awesome legs). He was also good in Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman. He wasnt in the movie long but he was so sexy. I am very sorry to hear of his passing. He was one of my favourite actors. RIP Roy. God Bless!!
I always thought that Roy Scheider was on of the sexiest man in movies. I loved him in Jaws of course, especially with those sexy short shorts(he had some awesome legs). He was also good in Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman. He wasnt in the movie long but he was so sexy. I am very sorry to hear of his passing. He was one of my favourite actors. RIP Roy. God Bless!!
I loved Roy in All That Jazz, that’s the perf I associate with him the most…I forgot he was in Jaws, since the dang shark all I seem to remember and being scared to go into my own backyard pool…
Roy, you ruled, we loved you and still do…thanks for being a class dude…
I loved Roy in All That Jazz, that’s the perf I associate with him the most…I forgot he was in Jaws, since the dang shark all I seem to remember and being scared to go into my own backyard pool…
Roy, you ruled, we loved you and still do…thanks for being a class dude…
I was introduced to Roy Scheider through SeaQuest, which I thought was totally awesome as a teenager. He definitely had the captain quality.
Roy Scheider…”creepy”,”oily, rancid”? Really? Roy Scheider? The guy from Jaws? I don’t really know if you have the right actor in mind, Gary Sussman, but creepy, oily, and rancid are very far removed from my perception of Roy Scheider. When I was a kid, I always wanted him to be my dad. It always made me sad that, after the 70s and early 80s, he was forgotten as a leading man. I was hoping that some day, a Tarantino or someone would give him a good meaty role. Well, goodbye sir…you will always remain one of the best parts of the 70s.
Why didn’t you do this for Brad Renfro?
Sammi:
http://popwatch.ew.com/popwatch/2008/01/brad-renfro-rip.html
No! Captain Bridger! I feel like I’ve lost a member of my family! You will be missed Roy! He had to be my first crush on a (much) older man, having always thought him attractive in Jaws, which was one of my mom’s favorite movies, but I LOVED him in SeaQuest! (Which incidentally started my love of Marco Sanchez) but I digress…you will be missed! He always brought such power to any scene he was in and tended to steal it! Love ya!
Are you serious? No mention of seaQuest DSV in your critique? Dude never gave me the creeps! Captain Nathan Bridger was totally awesome. But I guess I kinda know what you mean. I can barely look at Gene Hackman in any movie he’s in. Ugh, he makes my skin crawl!
Ceballos, Thanks for the link. Missed that! (Big Blush, Slinks away)
I watched my DVD of All That Jazz after work tonight in memory of Mr. Scheider. Bye bye love… you are missed and always remembered.
Roy’s death saddened me, as I’ve always been a big fan of his work. Although in recent years he appeared in too many B-thrillers and such, he had also appeared in such amazing movies as Klute, French Connection, and, my all time favorite movie, Jaws. His work in All That Jazz was nothing short of spectacular.
Scheider seemed to be at his best most of them when playing the perfect “everyman” hero…making the characters real and warm. Remember the scene where he and his son mimicked each other at the table in Jaws?
My favorite moment of the underrated 2010 was the wordless scene where he and the female Russian astronaunt held each other for comfortable while it felt like the ship was being torn apart around them. Without speaking, it was a touching piece of acting.
Something flashier? His musical death in All That Jazz, or his final, unexpected appearance in Naked Lunch, or the brutal balcony fight scene in Marathon Man.
Roy Scheider gave us many great moment.
I get made fun of quite often of my love for All That Jazz. For those of you who have not seen it, it is a must. Not only is it a great education on the Broadway theater and Bob Fosse – it is grimy, sexy, debauched, haunting 70’s cinema at it’s best. At the center of it is the most amazing performance by Roy Scheider. I would have never listed him as one of my favorite actors, yet he starred in two of my top 10 movies of all time – All That Jazz and Jaws. In both movies he totally gave way to the astounding story he was part of telling and in the process dissolved into his role. It’s unfortunate that I never really thought of him as one of his generation’s greatest actors until now. Thanks for the lovely tribute Gary. Rest In Peace Roy Scheider. Bye Bye Love….
Props for mentioning “The Seven Ups” and “Sorcerer,” two great movies from a sometimes under-appreciated career.
The death of Roy Schieder has sadden me deeply. My love for movies came from my father who was a big fan for Roy Schieder’s work. It was through him that I saw such underappreciated films as Marathon Man, The Last Embrace, Blue Thunder, The Seven-Ups and, yes, Jaws 2. Roy Schieder and his films hold a very dear place in my childhood and in my heart. Just as his facial features made him stand out, so did his acting abilities make him one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable.
He will be missed.
The death of Roy Schieder has sadden me deeply. My love for movies came from my father who was a big fan for Roy Schieder’s work. It was through him that I saw such underappreciated films as Marathon Man, The Last Embrace, Blue Thunder, The Seven-Ups and, yes, Jaws 2. Roy Schieder and his films hold a very dear place in my childhood and in my heart. Just as his facial features made him stand out, so did his acting abilities make him one-of-a-kind and irreplaceable.
He will be missed.
I’ve been a fan of Roy Scheider since I first saw him in JAWS. After that, I enjoyed his work in Blue Thunder(one of the best cop dramas/action thrillers), the excellent sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey; 2010, and his other works in such films as The French Connection, Sorcerer, The Seven-Ups, and of course the first season of SeaQuest. He will be truly missed. God bless you, Roy. We love you and we will miss you. Rest In Peace.