- The stuntwoman and movie star was best known for her role in ‘Jaws’
- She played skinny bear Chrissie Watkins, the first death in the 1975 film
- Backlinie’s booking agent confirmed her death on Sunday at her home in California
Actress and stuntwoman Susan Backlinie, perhaps best known as the first shark attack victim in “Jaws,” has died.
Backlinie, 77, died at her home in Ventura, California, her booking agent Matthew Templeton confirmed. No cause of death has been determined.
In addition to her silver screen career, Backlinie was a nationally ranked swimmer and professional diver.
Before being introduced to “Jaws” at age 28, she had worked as an animal trainer and performed as a mermaid.
She played Chrissie Watkins in Steven Spielberg’s iconic 1975 film and spent three days rehearsing the opening scene, in which she is tossed around by a great white before disappearing beneath the waves.
Actress Susan Backlinine, perhaps best known for her performance in “Jaws,” died Sunday at the age of 77
She played Chrissie Watkins in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 film and is remembered as the first shark attack victim whose death shocked millions to their core
Backlinie (pictured on the set of ‘Two-Minute Warning’ in 1976), died at her home in Ventura, California, her booking agent confirmed
She worked as an animal trainer and performed as a mermaid before landing her first film role
She later appeared in Spielberg’s ‘1941’ to parody the scene that launched her to stardom. This time instead She is eaten by a shark and picked up by a Japanese submarine.
Some of her other credits include ‘Two-Minute Warning’, ‘The Great Muppet Caper’, ‘Day of the Animals’ and the television series ‘The Fall Guy’.
Speaking at a Canadian fan convention in 2017, Backlinie recalled how she got her role in “Jaws.”
She told how she submitted a nude photo of herself in her application because she assumed the film would call for her to undress. To her relief, that turned out not to be necessary.
‘I do about for our five [conventions] every year it’s fun to go out and meet all the fans,” Backlinie told the interviewer at the time.
“They all have the same thing to say and the main thing they say all the time is, ‘You kept me out of the water.’”
Backlinie and her family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, when she was 10 years old.
While at Forest Hill High School, she was a cheerleader and state swimming champion who won the Class A 500-meter freestyle title in 1962, according to records.
The following year, she competed on the 200-yard medley team that secured the Class 2A state title for the Falcons.
After graduating in 1964, she attended nursing school for a year.
Backline is survived by her husband Harvey. The couple lived together on a houseboat off the coast of Ventura.
“It is with sincere regret that we must confirm that our beloved Susan passed away this morning,” Templeton said in a statement The everyday jawsa fansite dedicated to the film.
‘We would like to thank everyone for their compassion at this time. Please respect the family’s privacy at this difficult time.”
