Director Steven Spielberg initially did not think about casting Richard Dreyfuss as Matt Hooper in his classic 1975 shark thriller Jaws. While Dreyfuss was perfect in the role, the director initially looked to cast characters of the likes of Jon Voight, Timothy BottomsAND Jeff Bridges.
During a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Spielberg talked a lot about Jaws and how he initially envisioned the film as a sequel to Duel. He also talked about what made him cast Robert Shaw as Quint. Speaking about how Dreyfuss landed the role in the film, Spielberg said:
“Richard Dreyfuss wasn’t my first choice either. I went to Jon Voight first and he said no. I think we interviewed Timothy Bottoms as well as many other actors, including Jeff Bridges. I was a huge fan of The Last Picture Show [1971]—I was looking for everyone in the cast of that movie, including Bottoms and Bridges. We were refused or they weren’t available. These things happen all the time.
He went on to say that Dreyfuss ended up in the film because Spielberg was a fan of him American graffitiAND George Luke advised him to use Dreyfuss:
“Richard Dreyfuss got the part because I loved it [George Lucas’s] American graffiti[1973]. George was the one who said to me, ‘Why don’t you pick Ricky Dreyfuss?’ I sought a meeting with Richard, who said he was interested in seeing Jaws, but he wasn’t interested in being a part of it.
It’s pretty crazy that Dreyfuss wasn’t initially interested in starring in the film! But Spielberg didn’t take no for an answer. He was determined to cast Dreyfuss in the role. He said:
“I was persistent and [Jaws co-screenwriter] Carl Gottlieb, who knew Richard well, kept telling him, “Come on, it’ll be fun.” So, Richard agreed to another meeting with me and I convinced him to do it.
Make a movie like Jaws looks like it would be a lot of fun! But, as we all know, the production ended up being a nightmare for Spielberg. No matter how difficult the movie was to make, Dreyfuss and the rest of the actors ended up giving amazing performances!
by Joey Paur
Source: Geek Tyrant
Lloyd Grunewald is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. He is a talented writer who focuses on bringing the latest entertainment-related news to his readers. With a deep understanding of the entertainment industry and a passion for writing, Lloyd delivers engaging articles that keep his readers informed and entertained.
