Death; Actress Susan Backlinie who played the ill fated Chrissie in 1975’s Jaws has passed away at 77: The film industry mourns the loss of stuntwoman and actress Susan Backlinie, who portrayed the tragic Chrissie Watkins in the iconic opening sequence of the 1975 blockbuster “Jaws.” Susan, 77, has passed away, closing a chapter in the history of cinema, but her memory will live on forever, thanks to her incredible performance in one of the most memorable scenes ever recorded.
Despite Susan Backlinie’s 1946 birth year, her Hollywood career spanned many decades, and her legendary portrayal of Chrissie Watkins solidified her legacy in cinematic history. The first moment of “Jaws,” where Chrissie’s peaceful evening swim turns into a terrifying encounter with the movie’s famous shark, is among the scariest and most stressful scenes ever captured on camera. Because Susan’s depiction of Chrissie’s fear and desperation was so genuine and poignant, audiences everywhere were deeply moved by it.
Susan Backlinie was a talented stuntwoman who, in addition to “Jaws,” worked on numerous other movies and television shows. Her contemporaries in the business held her in high regard and appreciated her for her constant devotion to her profession, which was evident in every performance and her willingness to go above and beyond for it. Her departure is especially devastating for those who had the opportunity of meeting Susan in person. Being around Susan was a pleasure because of her real warmth, friendliness, and passion for what she did.
Future generations will cherish the memories Susan Backlinie left behind in the film business because of her profound influence both on and off screen. In addition to her legendary performance in “Jaws,” let’s not forget Susan Backlinie’s intelligence, dedication, and humanity in every role she performed. We will miss her greatly. Even while her body may no longer be with us, her soul will live on in the countless hearts that her work touched.
I hope Susan finds serenity in knowing that her influence will endure long after the final credits have rolled.Early on Saturday morning, Susan Backlinie, a former stuntwoman and actress best known for her role as Chrissie Watkins, the first shark victim in Steven Spielberg’s well-known picture JAWS (1975), passed away in her Ventura, California, home. It was 77 years old. Matthew Templeton, the convention agent for Backlinie, confirmed the details.
As the producers attempted to generate the effects they needed for Backlinie’s role in Jaws, she spent three days restrained by a harness. Contrary to what some have speculated, she was not injured when the harness pulled her back and forth in the water, as evidenced by her screams and shocked reactions. Susan was made to feel as though she was being pulled through the water by a line that was secured to the ocean floor below her. To elicit a more authentic sensation of surprise from her, she was purposely kept in the dark about the precise moment she would be submerged.
As an actress, though, she carried the remainder of the show by herself. When he watched the video of her being mauled by the shark, Jaws co-star Richard Dreyfuss said he was scared.Spielberg parodied Susan’s Jaws characterization using her 1941 appearance. She gets hilariously “picked up” by a Japanese submarine’s periscope during a midnight swim, instead of a shark. Some have claimed that, generally, this moment is the funniest in a less well-known Spielberg film.