Stunts were important for Jaws‘ success, but they weren’t easy to pull off. Luckily, they tried and it led to a groundbreaking blockbuster. Richard Dreyfuss, who played Hooper revealed what his co-star, Robert Shaw, did when they thought their boat was sinking.
Robert Shaw Fixed His Clothes During a ‘Jaws’ Emergency
Screen Archives/Getty Images
Dreyfuss, 78, talked about the filming of the shark movie with Route magazine. He said stunt wrangler Freddy Zendar took the wheel of the boat after someone on the radio claimed the ship was sinking. Some of the cast started to prepare to get into the safety boats.
“And, Robert Shaw decided that if he was going to drown in the Atlantic, he was going to be neat,” Dreyfuss said. “So, he buttoned up his shirt and his sleeves, and he anchored his hat on the top of his head, and he stood at the bow with his arms crossed while 17,000 safety boats were just criss-crossing and trying to get everyone off the boat.”
Related: ’80s Star Says Playing He-Man Isn’t Only About Strength
Dreyfuss said he tried to help a 70-year-old sound man get out first. Director Steven Spielberg yelled repeatedly to get the actors off the boat.
Shaw got the role of Quint because Dick Zanuck and David Brown suggested him to Spielberg, 79. The director agreed after watching him in A Man for All Seasons and From Russia with Love, according to Vanity Fair.
The director said Shaw liked to play ping-pong with Zanuck during production. One time Shaw lost and tried to fight Zanuck, but other people stopped it.
There seems to plenty stories about the making of Jaws from the shark repeatedly not working to the actors being characters themselves.
Related: The Best Sports Film and Sequels Are Coming to Netflix in June 2026
