Susan Backlinie, the actor who portrayed the woman killed by a massive shark in the opening scene the iconic movie "Jaws," has died.
Sean Clark, who is the founder of Convention All Stars, confirmed Backlinie's death on social media.
I worked with her for about 15 years and she was one of the nicest most easy going people I’ve ever dealt with," Clark wrote on Facebook. "She will be missed."Backlinie died Saturday at her home California, her convention agent, Matthew Templeton, told The Daily Jaws website.
***WARNING: The following footage contains graphic content. Viewer discretion is advised.***
Backlinie, an actress and stuntwoman, appeared in the 1975 blockbuster film as Chrissie Watkins, the first person to be killed by the huge shark. She goes for a nighttime swim and meets her fate.
The scene shows her running along a beach and striping off her clothes before she goes skinny dipping off Amity Island. The shark is not visible in the scene as it thrashes her around.
She screams for help, but is eventually taken underwater by the animal.
Backlinie's shoot for her appearance in Jaws spanned three days, during which she was secured into a harness as the crew labored to achieve the desired effects," according to The Daily Jaws. "Contrary to speculation, her startled reactions and screams weren't caused by any harm from the harness pulling her back and forth in the water."The Hollywood Reporter noted Backlinie was "a nationally ranked swimmer and professional diver who had performed as a mermaid and worked as an animal trainer" before she was recruited to star in "Jaws." At the time, she was 28 years old, the media outlet reported.
The movie was directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley. It was shot mostly on Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts.
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