Iconic actor Richard Dreyfuss is arguably best known by many for his role as marine biologist Matt Hooper in one of the best horror movies ever. The Jaws actor recently let loose about his less-than-favorable feelings toward the Broadway play The Shark is Broken, which chronicles the behind-the-scenes dynamics between the stars of Jaws – Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, and himself. The Valley of the Dolls vet didn’t hold back when sharing his thoughts on why he didn’t enjoy the play, even calling the experience watching it “pretty awful.”
Quentin Tarantino, a staunch advocate for the terrifying summer horror movie, not only considers it one of the finest films of the 1970s but deems it one of the greatest movies ever made. Nonetheless, the journey of bringing the iconic blockbuster to the screen was anything but smooth sailing. The Shark is Broken — co-authored by Ian Shaw, the son of Richard Dreyfuss’ co-star, Robert Shaw — drew inspiration from Robert’s diary during the development. After attending a performance, the What About Bob? actor joined the cast for photos. But, the smile on his face did not accurately reflect his genuine sentiments about the play, it seems Dreyfuss was unreserved in describing his experience when recounting the performance to Vanity Fair:
It was pretty awful. Ian [Shaw]—who has more than any right to write whatever he wants—never called me and said, ‘Give me some background.’ Or, ‘Give me your take on this and this.’ And they just decided to make my character a big jerk.
The play centers around a fictional feud between Robert Shaw, a renowned English stage actor and seasoned drinker, and Richard Dreyfuss, portrayed as a neurotic, fame-obsessed, and humorously insecure actor just starting his career. The Close Encounters of the Third Kind actor, however, maintains that he and the late Shaw never had an actual conflict. He remembered their working relationship as an “incredible” and honorable one. While acknowledging playful teasing on set, the Two for the Money star maintains it was all in good fun.
Allegedly, the only notable incident involved The Goodbye Girl actor throwing a glass of Robert Shaw’s bourbon overboard. In retaliation, Shaw purportedly soaked him with a hose, nearly dunking him underwater. Despite these incidents, the Madoff alum was adamant that it wasn’t indicative of an ongoing feud, and there were never any lasting hard feelings between them.
Richard Dreyfuss says he didn’t take issue with the play’s depiction of his late co-star’s alcoholism, which was indeed a characteristic of his. But he vehemently disagreed with his own character’s portrayal:
The problem is that they made my character the fool. They didn’t do that to Roy, and they didn’t do that to Robert. And that hurt because it wasn’t true.
The persistent rumors of an on-set feud between the two Jaws heavyweights have been a source of annoyance for the veteran Stand By Me actor, and he traces the origin of these stories back to Steven Spielberg and Jaws co-screenwriter Carl Gottlieb. Although he considers Spielberg and Gottlieb friends, he expressed disappointment in their role in perpetuating the feud narrative, believing they should have known better.
The New York City-born A-lister says he understands that the experience of making one of the greatest shark movies was unique and even admits some moments in The Shark Is Broken were drawn from actual events. Still, he firmly believes the play presents a “false picture.”
Despite Richard Dreyfuss’ concerns, the stage play The Shark is Broken has received critical acclaim and runs as a limited engagement until November 19th. And to watch Jaws, all you need is a Netflix subscription.