Susan Backlinie, the First Victim of the Shark in “Jaws”, Dead at 77

Backlinie played the role of Chrissie Watkins in the iconic 1975 film

Susan Backlinie, who starred in Steven Spielberg's 1975 film Jaws, has died at the age of 77.

Backlinie’s convention agent, Matthew Templeton, told The Daily Jaws that the stuntwoman and actress died on Saturday, May 11. The New York Times also reported that her publicist, Sean Clark, stated that she died at home of a heart attack.

“It is with heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved Susan passed away this morning,” Templeton’s statement read. “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”

PEOPLE has contacted Clark for comment

In Jaws, Backlinie played Chrissie Watkins, who becomes the film’s first shark victim after she goes skinny dipping. The stuntwoman was just 28 at the time.

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Prior to the gig, Backlinie had experience in the water. Per The Hollywood Reporter, she was a professional diver who ranked nationally as a swimmer. She also worked as an animal trainer and performed as a mermaid.

"I didn’t want an actor to do it. I wanted a stuntperson because I needed somebody who was great in the water, who knew water ballet and knew how to endure what I imagined was going to be a whole lot of violent shaking,” Spielberg said in the 2023 book Spielberg: The First Ten Years by Laurent Bouzereau, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “So, I went to stunts to find her, and Susan was up to the challenge.”

Meanwhile, Backlinie told The Palm Beach Post in 2017:  “The first thing [Spielberg] said to me was, ‘When your scene is done, I want everyone under the seats with the popcorn and bubblegum.' "

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The scene took three days to film, according Bouzereau's book. Backlinie wore a harness as five crew members pulled her from one side while another five pulled from the other side, portraying a shark pulling her into the ocean.

In addition to Jaws, Backlinie also starred in A Stranger in the Forest (1976), Two-Minute Warning (1976), and The Great Muppet Caper (1981). She was married to William Seal.

"Susan was a kind, soul and loving soul and will be sorely missed by the Jaws community," Jaws star Jeffrey Kramer told The Daily Jaws. "She has a special place in our hearts."

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