Susan Backlinie, Actor Who Masterfully Played Shark’s First Victim In Jaws, Is Dead

Susan Backlinie, whose iconic opening death scene set the tone of terror for Jaws, died of a heart attack in California on Saturday, her agent confirmed to The New York Times. She was 77.

In Steven Spielberg’s 1975 spine-tingling movie, Susan’s character Chrissie rises from a beach campfire party at dusk to go skinny-dipping with a drunk companion, who comically collapses in the sand.

However, the carefree swim is soon interrupted from below as the great white shark pulls Chrissie, writhing and screaming, into the depths.