Susan Backlinie, first victim in ‘Jaws’ film, dead at 77


Susan Backlinie, famously known as the first victim in the 1975 film, “Jaws,” has died, Fox News Digital can confirm.

Her husband of 30 years, Harvey Swindall, says her passing was “very unexpected.”

She died at their California home on Saturday morning from a heart attack. She was 77.

“[She] was the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life. And I’ve never loved anybody like her,” Swindall said.

Backlinie earned the role of Chrissie in Steven Spielberg’s film not only for her enviable looks, but also because she was a nationally ranked swimmer who had worked as a mermaid and animal trainer after graduating from high school in 1964.

“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 knew how to endure what I imagined was going to be a whole lot of violent shaking,” Spielberg recounted in Laurent Bouzereau’s book, “Spielberg: The First Ten Years,” per The Hollywood Reporter. “So, I went to stunts to find her, and Susan was up to the challenge.”

In an interview with The Palm Beach Post in 2017, Backlinie spoke about Spielberg’s vision for what has now become an iconic scene. “The first thing [Spielberg] said to me was, ‘When your scene is done, I want everyone under the seats with the popcorn and bubblegum,’” she shared. “So I think we did that.”

Related Posts

Video: A husband and wife get up on Sunday morning

Video: A husband and wife get up on Sunday morning

A husband and wife get up on Sunday morning. After breakfast, the wife notices that her husband isn’t dressed for church. “Why aren’t you dressed for church?”…

A man is stranded on a desert island for 10 years.

A man is stranded on a desert island for 10 years.

A man is stranded on a desert island for 10 years. One day he sees a beautiful woman in a swimsuit come ashore. She says to him,…

Clever Signages

Clever Signages

*A sign in a shoe repair store*: “We will heel you, We will save your sole, we will even dye for you!” At an *Eye Clinic* :…

Video: Two elderly couples were having dinner

Video: Two elderly couples were having dinner

Two elderly couples were having dinner. When one of the men says to the other man of the group, “Hey Stan, tell us about the college course…

Johnny Was Sitting In The Hall Of The School

Johnny Was Sitting In The Hall Of The School

Little Johnny was sitting in the hall of the school, bored out of his mind. Suddenly the teacher walked by and he asked her: “How do you…

The Teddy Bear Collection

The Teddy Bear Collection

A woman meets a man in a bar. They talk; they connect; they end up leaving together. They get back to his place, and as he shows…