'Jaws 2' Star Marc Gilpin Dead at 56
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
Marc Gilpin, a former child actor likely most recognized for his role as Sean in Jaws 2, has died. He was 56.
Gilpin passed on Saturday, July 29 in Dallas, Texas. His sister, Frasier actress Peri Gilpin, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter, sharing that his death followed a long battle with glioblastoma — an aggressive form of brain cancer that has a mere 40 percent chance of survival in the first year after diagnosis and 17 percent in the second, according to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons.
Amid the news of his death, Peri also shared a heartwarming tribute for her brother, which was written by David Morwick. The Instagram tribute read: "Jaws 2 was the first film I saw on the big screen as a little kid. I would take all my action figures and act out all the parts in my room. Where it all began .. I’m so glad I got to talk with him he gave me the best advice and was the nicest guy. Sending prayers to his family. Soar with the angels, Marc."
Related: ‘The Wizard of Oz’s Betty Ann Bruno Dead at 91
According to THR, Gilpin was up against hundreds of other boys for the role of Sean in the 1978 sequel to Jaws. It was just his third project, and he would only appear in 15 films and television series total throughout his brief career. After 1985's Surviving, manager Jerry Silverhardt spotted him visiting his sister in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and tried to sign him — which he agreed to on the condition that Silverhardt also sign Peri, who went on to star as Roz Doyl in the hit NBC sitcom several years later.
Gilpin's final role was as a parking attendant in 1989's She's Out of Control. Following that, he became a self-taught software engineer. According to his family, he scored a number of software patents throughout his second career.
He was preceded in death by his sisters, April and Patti, his father, Jim, and his mother, Sandra. In addition to Peri, he is survived by his wife, Kaki, and sons Spencer, 18, and Presley, 16.
