‘Jaws’ Actress Susan Backlinie Dead at 77, Played Shark’s First Victim

12:09 PM PT — Susan‘s companion, Harvey Swindall tells TMZ … Susan handed absent from heart attack Saturday morning. He recollects her as the most unbelievable particular person he’d ever happy, introducing he’ll skip her fairly considerably.

Susan Backlinie, who performed 1 distinct of the most unforgettable roles in “Jaws,” has died … TMZ has acquired.

The longtime actress and stuntwoman handed away at her property Saturday morning in Ventura, CA … in accordance to Matthew Templeton, the agent who managed her conference bookings. He claims the trigger of loss of life has not been determined but.

SB obtained her commence in the acting globe in 1975 with the position of Chrissie Watkins in Steven Spielberg‘s shark flick. She’s the lady who goes skinny dipping in the ocean in the opening scene … and gets savagely yanked back and forth by the shark prior to she’s eaten.

The scene, and Susan’s goal, grew to turn out to be legendary when the film turned into Hollywood’s initial precise blockbuster. It also constructed millions of males and ladies cease swimming in the ocean!

The scene took a couple instances to shoot, and in an job interview prior 12 months, Susan remembered the h2o remaining completely freezing, but added … she’s noticed “Jaws” a ton and plainly has lots of really like for the film.

She partnered with Steven Spielberg to spoof the scene a various decades afterwards in just 1 of his a lot much less beloved films, “1941.”

Backlinie went on to do a ton of stunt perform in films and Television set. Some of her credits contain “The Wonderful Muppet Caper,” “Operating day of the Animals,” and the Television set demonstrate “The Fall Guy.”

But, it genuinely is her “Jaws” goal that frequently created her a supporter favored on the conference circuit.

Susan is survived by her spouse, Harvey. She was 77.