Jaws star Susan Backlinie dies aged 77: Actress played the first shark victim in Steven Spielberg’s iconic movie

Actress and stuntwoman Susan Backlinie, maybe greatest often known as the primary shark assault sufferer in ‘Jaws,’ has died.

Backlinie, 77, suffered a deadly coronary heart assault at her house in Ventura, California.

Along with her profession on the silver display screen, Backlinie was a nationally ranked swimmer {and professional} diver.

Earlier than she was introduced onto ‘Jaws’ at 28 years outdated, she had labored as an animal coach and carried out as a mermaid.

She performed Chrissie Watkins in Steven Spielberg’s iconic 1975 movie and spent three days rehearsing the opening scene during which she is thrashed round by a terrific white earlier than vanishing beneath the waves.

She portrayed Chrissie Watkins in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 flick and is remembered as the primary shark assault sufferer whose dying shocked hundreds of thousands to the core

She labored as an animal handler and carried out as a mermaid earlier than touchdown her first movie function

She later appeared in Spielberg’s ‘1941’ to parody the scene that launched her into stardom. This time, as a substitute of being eaten by a shark, she is picked up by a Japanese submarine.

A few of her different credit embody ‘Two-Minute Warning,’ The Nice Muppet Caper,’ ‘Day of the Animals’ and the tv collection ‘The Fall Man.’ 

Talking at a Canadian fan conference held in 2017, Backlinie recalled how she landed her function in ‘Jaws’.

She shared how she submitted a nude picture of herself in her software, since she assumed the film would name for her to strip down. To her reduction, that did not turn into mandatory.

‘I do about for our 5 [conventions] a yr, it is enjoyable to exit and meet all of the followers,’ Backlinie informed the interviewer on the time. 

‘All of them have the identical factor to say and the primary factor they are saying on a regular basis is: “You have saved me out of the water.”‘

Backlinie and her household moved to West Palm Seashore, Florida, when she was 10 years outdated.

Whereas attending Forest Hill Excessive College, she was a cheerleader and state swimming champion who gained the Class A 500-yard freestyle title in 1962, in keeping with document archives. 

The following yr, she participated on the 200-yard medley workforce that secured the Class 2A state title for the Falcons. After graduating highschool, she attended nursing college for a yr.

Backlinie (pictured on the set of ‘Two-Minute Warning’ in 1976), died at her house in Ventura, California, her reserving agent confirmed

The actress (pictured on set with Steven Spielberg) is survived by her husband, Harvey Swindall, who described her as ‘probably the most superb individual I’ve ever met in my life’

Desirous to do one thing ‘extra athletic,’ Backlinie labored as a mermaid on the Weeki Wachee Springs and an animal handler at Ivan Tors Studios in Miami.

After Ivan Tors shuttered, she moved to California to work with Africa U.S.A., a wildlife vacationer attraction that was open till 1961.

She was capturing on location with a tiger in Canada when the ‘Jaws’ workforce first made contact together with her.

DailyMail.com caught up with the actress in June 2022, when she was noticed working errands days earlier than the forty seventh anniversary of the discharge of ‘Jaws’.

Backlinie is survived by her husband, Harvey Swindall. The pair lived collectively on a houseboat off the Ventura coast.

In a press release to Fox Information Digital, Swindall stated her passing was ‘very sudden’.

He described his spouse of almost three many years as ‘probably the most superb individual I’ve ever met in my life. And I’ve by no means cherished anyone like her.’

Backlinie’s reserving agent, Matthew Templeton, confirmed her dying and requested that followers respect the household’s privateness.