Atomic Popcorn | Feb 11, 2008 | Movie News
This weekend one of the great actors of the 1970′s passed away. Roy Scheider had been battling cancer for several year. I always thought Mr. Scheider was one of the more looked over talents from the 70′s film era. Many people remember him as Chief Brody in 1975′s Jaws. I am a huge fan of Jaws, but the movie I really enjoyed him in was 1976′s Marathon Man with Dustin Hoffman.
Other notable films include: The Seven-Ups, Sorcerer, All That Jazz, Blue Thunder, Naked Lunch, Romeo is Bleeding, and more recently in the remake of The Punisher.
Hollywood has lost a great face of the silver screen today. I, myself will miss his performances.
Roy Scheider: 1932-2008
Roy Scheider was great, and truly brought a wonderful “everyman” quality to many of his roles. Jaws would not have been the classic film that it is without him. But how do you figure he was overlooked when the man was nominated for TWO Academy Awards?
(Best Supporting Actor for The French Connection and Best Actor for All That Jazz)
I liked him a lot, but he was not in the league of the guys you mentioned. If for no other reason than he just didn’t get the roles those guys got.
And what does Mira Sorvino have to do with anything? I was pointing out the fact that he was hardly over looked back then. He just didn’t have the staying power of the guys you mentioned.
I’m going to try to do this as cordially as possible. He was overlooked for the bigger names of the era simply because he didn’t have the versatility and charisma those guys did. I’m sorry, I like the guy, but it’s the truth. You want to name some of the biggest and most successful and marketable actors in history, well they are that way for a reason. Personally, I think it is unfair of you to compare Mr.Scheider to them, and that is in no way a derogatory statement about Roy.
The other flaw with your (not you’re) argument is that all of the actors you mentioned are all STILL WORKING and HEADLINING films. Of course the average person on the streets today is going to know who they are. Sure, he had been working still, but it was in bit parts here and there. I don’t believe he had a starring role in a major film in over TEN YEARS. That is why the average person doesn’t remember him. It’s not some grand conspiracy to keep him down in favor of other actors. He just hasn’t been in the spotlight that much, and in Hollywood you might as well not exist.
He had his time where he was a huge star, but that passed. The actors you mentioned are still big stars. And there is a reason for that.
He was in Jaws??
Mr. Schreider will be sadly missed. He has some great turns in Jaws and All That Jazz. I'm just sad that the end of the career didn't bring him some of the A-level projects that he deserved.
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Randy
http://generationxmovies.blogspot.com/
Mr. Schreider will be sadly missed. He has some great turns in Jaws and All That Jazz. I'm just sad that the end of the career didn't bring him some of the A-level projects that he deserved.
–
Randy
http://generationxmovies.blogspot.com/