Susan Backlinie, the actress who portrayed the memorable opening death scene in the movie “Jaws,” passed away on Saturday in California. Her agent confirmed the news to The New York Times, stating that she died of a heart attack at the age of 77.
In Steven Spielberg’s chilling 1975 film, Chrissie from Backlinie’s character emerges from a beach campfire gathering at twilight, deciding to indulge in a daring skinny-dipping escapade with an intoxicated companion, who humorously collapses onto the sandy shore. However, her carefree swim takes a terrifying turn when a massive great white shark seizes her, dragging her down into the depths while she writhes and screams in terror.
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According to Variety, Backlinie, a former nationally ranked swimmer and stuntwoman, was allegedly tethered to the ocean floor and manipulated by the crew using ropes. Surprisingly, she was not given any prior warning before being submerged, which was done in order to elicit a more authentic reaction.
In an interview with The Palm Beach Post, Backlinie shared Spielberg’s directive during the filming, stating, “When your scene is done, I want everyone under the seats with the popcorn and bubble gum.”
“I believe we accomplished that,” she said.
In 2017, Susan Backlinie revealed that she had followed Steven Spielberg’s instructions to frighten audience members by hiding under their theater seats.
In addition to her iconic role in “Jaws,” Backlinie made appearances in other films as well. She starred in “The Great Muppet Caper” (1981) and also had a role in Spielberg’s 1979 war comedy “1941,” where she humorously parodied her famous shark-attack scene.
She appeared on various TV shows, including “The Quest” (1976), “Quark” (1978), and “The Fall Guy” (1982).
Backlinie’s husband, Harvey Swindall, is the one who survived her.
