Susan Backlinie Obituary, Death: Renowned Actor Who Played ‘Jaws’ First Victim Dead at 77 Years Old
Susan Backlinie, the actor who portrayed a woman killed by a massive shark in the opening scene of the iconic movie “Jaws,” died on May 11, 2024, at her home in California. She was 77 years old and passed away due to a heart attack.
Backlinie played the role of Chrissie Watkins, the first person to be killed by the enormous shark in the blockbuster picture released in 1975. She was both an actress and a stuntwoman, and her scene in Jaws took just three days to shoot while she was hooked up to a harness. The crew struggled to achieve the desired effects as the mechanical shark was often not functioning correctly.
Backlinie was a nationally ranked swimmer and professional diver who had performed as a mermaid and worked as an animal trainer before being cast in the role of a character in the film “Jaws.” She was a skilled diver and swimmer, and her personal life was full of recreations, between sports driving and wild animal training. She not only owned but also trained a pet bear, and according to Peter Mayhew of Star Wars fame, it was this Backlinie-trained bear whose growls were recorded and used for the voice of Mayhew’s character of Chewbacca.
Backlinie’s scene in Jaws scared co-star Richard Dreyfuss, who said it “absolutely terrified him.” The scene took three days to shoot, with Backlinie strapped into a harness while the crew struggled to get the desired effects. Contrary to rumors, Backlinie’s startled reaction and screams of anguish were not due to her being injured by the harness that yanked her back and forth in the water. However, she was attached to a line that was anchored to the ocean floor beneath her, and she was intentionally not warned when she would be first pulled underwater; this helped provoke a more genuine expression of surprise from her initially – but the remainder of her performance was her own as an actress.
Backlinie also appeared in Spielberg’s film parodying her role in 1941, where instead of being attacked by a shark during a midnight swim, she’s “picked up” by the periscope of a Japanese submarine. The scene has been described as the best joke in what is otherwise widely considered one of Spielberg’s least successful films. She also appeared in the 1977 film Day of the Animals, regarded by some as a Jaws clone about nature gone bad.
After her success in Jaws, Backlinie stepped out of the spotlight, but she left a lasting impression in the movie industry in multiple ways, even off of Amity Island and its treacherous waters. She currently works as a computer accountant in the state of California and has since appeared in documentaries, many of them on the legacy of Jaws. The last documentary she appeared in was in 2015.
Susan Backlinie is survived by her husband, Harvey Swindall, who described her as “the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life. And I’ve never loved anybody like her.” Her booking agent, Matthew Templeton, confirmed her death and asked that fans respect the family’s privacy.
In conclusion, Susan Backlinie’s death is a reminder of the impact she had on the movie industry, particularly in the iconic film Jaws. Her scene in the movie may have been terrifying, but it has become a classic moment in cinematic history. She will be deeply missed by her fans and the movie industry as a whole.
