The first shark attack victim in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 thriller movie Jaws was played by Susan Backlinie, who recently died of a heart attack in her California home. The 77-year-old had a lifelong career as an excellent swimmer and actress, which she began pursuing at 10 years old.
Susan grew up swimming miles off the coast of West Palm Beach in Florida and was a freestyle champion during high school. She scored her most famous role as Chrissie Watkins after sending in her nude photo to Jaws’ production executive, which piqued Steven’s interest.
Remembering Susan Backlinie
Jaws opens with “Chrissie” swimming in shark-infested waters, after which she is dragged to her death by the killer animal. Her piercing screams were a memorable moment from the scene, with speculations later arising that she got injured in real life by the back harness that jerked her about.
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Unlike the rumors about Susan truly screaming in pain, she was startled by the unexpected pull underwater, which none of the crew warned her about. Her co-star Richard Dreyfuss admitted being terrified by her performance and revealed in the Jaws: The Inside Story documentary that Steven later recorded her shrieks by pouring water in her mouth.
Susan also reprised her role as a parody in Steven’s 1941, where she got swallowed by a Japanese submarine’s periscope rather than a shark. She also appeared in movies like Jim Henson’s The Great Muppet Caper, The Grizzly & the Treasure, A Stranger in My Forest, Day of the Animals, and series including The Quest, Quark, and The Fall Guy.
Susan was also a stunt woman for The Villain and Donald W. Thompson’s Image of the Beast. After retiring from the spotlight, the former animal trainer worked as a computer accountant in Ventura, California. Susan is survived by her husband Harvey Swindall, who called her “the most amazing person” in his recently released heartfelt tribute.