Susan Backlinie, Actor Who Masterfully Played Shark’s First Victim In ‘Jaws,’ Is Dead
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Susan Backlinie, whose iconic opening death scene set the tone of terror for “Jaws,” died Saturday of a heart attack in California, her agent told The New York Times. She was 77.
In Steven Spielberg’s 1975 spine-tingling movie, Backlinie’s Chrissie rises from a beach campfire party at dusk to go skinny-dipping with a drunk guy who comically collapses in the sand. But her carefree swim is soon interrupted from below as the great white shark pulls her writhing and screaming into the depths.
Backlinie, a stuntwoman and former nationally ranked swimmer, was reportedly tethered to the ocean floor and pushed and pulled with ropes by the crew. But she was not warned of her initial submersion to get a more natural response, Variety reported.
Backlinie once told The Palm Beach Post that Spielberg’s marching orders at the time were, “When your scene is done, I want everyone under the seats with the popcorn and bubble gum.”
She said, “I think we did that.”
Backlinie also appeared in “The Great Muppet Caper” (1981) and Spielberg’s 1979 war comedy “1941,” in which she parodied her shark-attack scene.
Her TV credits included “The Quest,” (1976) “Quark” (1978) and “The Fall Guy” (1982).
Backlinie is survived by her husband, Harvey Swindall.
