Susan Backlinie, whose onscreen demise at the beginning of Jaws made countless moviegoers scared to go in the water, has died at age 77.
Backlinie’s convention agent told The Daily Jaws website that the former actor and stunt performer died Saturday at her home in Ventura, California.
“It is with heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved Susan passed away this morning,” agent Matthew Templeton said. “We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.”
In Jaws, the 1975 summer blockbuster that put director Steven Spielbergon the map, Backlinie played Chrissie, the skinny-dipper killed by the shark in the first scene.
When she got the part at age 28, Backlinie was already a nationally ranked swimmer and professional diver, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
In the 2023 book Spielberg: The First Ten Years, Spielberg recalled seeking a stunt performer to play Chrissy. “I didn’t want an actor to do it. I wanted a stuntperson because I needed somebody who was great in the water, who knew water ballet, and [who] knew how to endure what I imagined was going to be a whole lot of violent shaking,” he said. “So, I went to stunts to find her, and Susan was up to the challenge.”
Backlinie filmed the scene over three days in Martha’s Vineyard. “She had a harness on,” Spielberg revealed. “There were two eye rings in it and wires that led to two stakes on the beach [about 50 yards away]. Five crew were on one side and five crew on the other, and they basically pulled Susan. … It had to be perfectly choreographed to give the impression the shark was pulling her violently to the right and then immediately violently to the left.”
Jaws wouldn’t be Backlinie’s last time working with Spielberg. The filmmaker enlisted her to spoof her Jaws scene in his 1979 period comedy 1941. Once again, the first scene was Backlinie’s character skinny-dipping in the ocean to the tune of John Williams’ foreboding Jaws music, but this time, it was a Japanese submarine that surprised her in the water.
Backlinie’s other screen credits include the films Day of the Animals and The Great Muppet Caper and episodes of the TV shows The Quest, Quark, and The Fall Guy.