14. Sometimes It Pays To Eavesdrop
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According to reports, Spielberg was at a Hollywood party talking with a friend, and he happened to mention his plans for a scene where the shark jumps out of the water and onto a boat where the stars of the film would be. Roy Scheider was also at the party and he overheard the conversation and became fascinated with the story. So he did what any actor would do, he asked if he could be in the film and that’s how he landed the part of Chief Martin Brody. Lucky for him, Spielberg was already a fan of his after seeing him in his role in The French Connection.
13. The Fourth Time’s a Charm
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The role of Matt Hooper, the oceanographer that played alongside Chief Brody, was played by the one and only Richard Dreyfuss. And it seems crazy to think of anyone else playing the character. But it turns out that Dreyfuss wasn’t Spielberg’s first choice. As a matter of fact, he wasn’t even the second choice or the third. It was initially offered to Jeff Bridges, Jon Voight, and Timothy Bottoms, but none of them could commit. Unsure of what he was going to do, Spielberg got a recommendation from his dear friend, George Lucas, who suggested Dreyfuss after having a good experience working with him on the classic film, American Graffiti.