‘Jaws’ Success Was Boosted by Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss’ Feud
Jaws was plagued by behind-the-scenes drama, but perhaps the most tumultuous part was the ongoing feud between Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss.
The story behind the making of Jaws is arguably as riveting as the film itself. From inclement weather to script revisions to a constantly malfunctioning mechanical shark, Steven Spielberg's 1975 classic was plagued by setbacks and complications that inflated its budget to $12 million and tripled its shooting schedule from 55 to 159 days. Spielberg has bluntly described directing Jaws as a "horrendous" experience, but he wasn't alone in suffering on-set in Martha's Vineyard. Among those who shared in the young filmmaker's misery were co-stars Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, whose performative animosity as grizzled shark hunter Quint and impassioned ichthyologist Hooper, respectively, wasn't limited to the film itself. Throughout production, the two actors famously and repeatedly clashed, and their off-screen antics would ultimately give their onscreen relationship a level of authenticity that blurred the line between fiction and reality.
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