Referred to as "one of the most unique and distinguished of all Hollywood actors", Roy Scheider made quite a name for himself over the course of his career. Most people remember him for his role as Chief Brody in Jaws (1975) and Jaws 2 (1978), but the actor boasts quite a long list of iconic performances. He's even been nominated for quite a few awards, including two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award. Here are some of the most iconic performances of his career:
Directed by Jonathan Demme, Last Embrace is an American noir thriller film that stars Roy Scheider and Janet Margolin. The movie is based on a book called The 13th Man by Murray Teigh Bloom. Scheider plays the part of secret agent Harry Hannan, who has a mental breakdown after witnessing the murder of his wife. Harry spends five months in an asylum and upon his return, witnesses a bunch of strange happenings. The Hitchcockian-style thriller plays with both the main character and the audience as both begin to question Harry's sanity. Scheider does a great job at playing the tense, paranoid spy in the suspense-filled film, making it a must-watch.
Based on Elmore Leonard's 1974 novel of the same name, 52 Pick-Up is one of the many neo-noir films that popped up during the '70s and '80s. The fast pace of the film, along with the lurid and malevolent energy ensures that it captures the audience's attention. The story centers around Scheider's character, Harry Mitchell, a successful businessman, who is blackmailed with a fake tape of him and his mistress. The release of the tape could put his wife's political career at risk. Instead of giving in to the demands of the blackmailers, Harry decided to fight back, which caused the entire situation to spiral out of control. Scheider does a pretty good job at making the audience emphasize with him. It's rather interesting, because one can't help but feel bad for Harry, while also questioning the morality of his actions. A great aspect of the film is that it pays tribute to the noir genre, while also incorporating contemporary themes.
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Written and directed by Peter Hyams, 2010 is a sci-fi film that is meant to serve as a sequel to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Even though the original is far superior to the sequel, 2010 is still quite an impressive space movie. Hyams' 2010 attempts to shed light on some of the mysteries that Kubrick had left in the original film. Schneider portrays Dr. Heywood Floyd, who still regrets the failure of the Jupiter mission and the loss of the USS Discovery. There's also an entire arc that focuses on the Cold War and the nuclear tension between the USA and USSR that comes with it. Scheider's performance in the film makes it worth the watch. He portrays the perfect balance of calm and stress to portray the captain, who is stuck in a sensitive situation, fraught with tension and danger, trying to ensure that the mission is a success.
Directed by John Schlesinger, Marathon Man is a political thriller that focuses on graduate student and long-distance runner, Babe, portrayed by Dustin Hoffman, who is unwillingly tangled up in a complex crime plot. The scenes revolving around the dentist and Nazi war criminal, Dr. Christian Szell, portrayed by Laurence Olivier, are quite popular. It's rather terrifying to witness as Dr. Szell tortures Babe using his dental instruments, all the while asking "Is it safe?". Scheider plays the part of Agent Henry Doc, a secret agent, and Babe's brother. It's Doc who gets Babe tangled up in the mess in the first place. The audience really gets to see Scheider's acting talents in this movie. He does well to portray the mysterious and sometimes suspicious secret agent. A particularly fan-favorite scene is when Scheider is attacked in a hotel room. It's bloody and grim, the action ensuring that the audience's eyes are glued to the screen wondering if Scheider will be able to fend off his attacker.
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Directed by Bob Fosse, All That Jazz is a semi-autobiographical fantasy musical drama that sheds light on the life of director-choreographer Bob Fosse. The idea for the movie was inspired by Fosse's manic efforts to edit his film Lenny, while also working on the Broadway musical Chicago (1975). Scheider plays the role of Joe Gideon, the fictional version of Fosse, who spends most of his time popping pills and chasing women, while also trying to choreograph plays and edit films. Gideon pushes his luck with work, women, and drugs until he can't anymore, and ends up with a heart attack. Scheider's portrayal of the self-destructive choreographer is spectacular. One can see glimpses of his inner insecurities through his relationship with the various characters, particularly the women. The acting, along with the dazzling musical sequences in the film are rather mesmerizing. All That Jazz earned a total of nine Oscar nominations. One of which was earned by Scheider for Best Actor.
As mentioned earlier, perhaps the one performance that Scheider is best known for is his role as Chief Brody in Steven Spielberg's thriller, Jaws. The movie centers around a small beach town in New England, which is being terrorized by a killer shark. Jaws featured quite a few hair-raising sequences, as the audience witnesses a variety of individuals fall victim to the killer shark. However, what really makes the film worth watching is the relationship dynamics and the character portrayal of the leading trio; Scheider as Chief Brody, Richard Dreyfuss as Hooper, and Robert Shaw as Quint. Plus, Scheider's facial expressions are on point. Much like the audience, Chief Brody is always on the lookout for danger, just waiting for the killer shark. The movie was a huge success when it was first released, and won three Oscars. In fact, the audience enjoyed the movie so much, that it came back for a sequel, Jaws 2, and of course, Schieder's Chief Brody was also reprised.