Marc Gilpin, Jaws 2 child actor and brother of Frasier star Peri Gilpin, dies at 56

Marc Gilpin, a former child actor best known for playing young Sean Brody in Jaws 2, has died. He was 56.

His older sister, former Frasier star Peri Gilpin, announced the news via a tribute post from actor David Morwick, sharing it in her Instagram story on Wednesday. Alongside a picture of Gilpin and actress Martha Swatek in Jaws 2, the post praised his performances throughout his career.

Peri Gilpin also confirmed her brother's death to The Hollywood Reporter, who reported that Marc Gilpin died Saturday in Dallas after a long battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. He is survived by Peri, his wife, and their two teenage sons. He previously lost his sister April in 2017 and his sister Patti in 2020.

Everett Collection Marc Gilpin

Gilpin's cancer diagnosis was first announced in 2022, when the family started a GoFundMe page to offset his medical and household expenses. The page revealed that doctors had discovered two tumors in Gilpin's brain, one of which could not be surgically removed. The ex-actor, who later became a self-taught software engineer, had lost his job and was home with his wife, an elementary school teacher who took time off work to care for him.

The page's most recent update shares that after months of looking at good scans, doctors had discovered a new growth, which Gilpin was fighting with a more intense treatment plan. "So many people have reached out to us in this past year to support. It's been humbling," his wife, Kaki Gilpin, wrote in the May 2023 post. "And I thought I was already humble enough. Damn. Marc is an amazingly strong man and he wants to continue the battle. So do I and our boys. Any parent would be so proud of their kids if you could see how Spencer and Presley are living with this."

Universal/Getty Images Marc Gilpin and Gary Dubin in 'Jaws 2'

Born Sept. 26, 1966, in Austin, Marc Gilpin landed his breakout role as the title character in 1978's Where's Willy? That same year, he starred as Sean Brody in the sequel to the Steven Spielberg blockbuster hit Jaws. He beat out hundreds of other boys for his role in the Jeannot Szwarc–directed film, which also featured small roles for two of his three siblings: April Gilpin played Renee, while Peri appeared as an extra.

Gilpin later guest-starred on CHiPs before he appeared with April on Fantasy Island. More big-screen roles followed in movies including The Legend of the Long Ranger, Earthbound, and Surviving, which co-starred Ellen Burstyn, River Phoenix, and Molly Ringwald. His part in the latter led to Gilpin signing with a manager, who also took notice of his sister Peri. She would later find fame for her role as Roz Doyle in the hit NBC comedy Frasier.

After appearing in episodes of the series Silver Spoons and the films Right to Kill?, China Beach, and She's Out of Control, Gilpin pursued a career as a software engineer.

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