"Tell them I've gone fishing"

We missed the boat with the passing of a great New Zealander Sir Edmund Hilary by not posting an epilogue for him. But I feel that I cannot let the passing of a great actor go by without mentioning it. Roy Scheider passed yesterday in Little Rock Arkansas aged 75 due to complications from a staph infection.

He will be most remembered for the films that influenced a generation, Popeye Doyle’s partner in The French Connection, the aging Vietnam Vet helicopter pilot in Blue Thunder, taking on the role Heywood Floyd in 2010 and probably most famously for his role of Chief Martin Brody in Jaws. Jaws is widely known as the first summer blockbuster and in some respects was the catalyst for films such as Star Wars, E.T. and other summer films.

His portrayal of the Chief of police that lived on an island and did not like the water was magnificent and will go down as his most famous with one of the best movie quotes ever “Your gonna need a bigger boat”.By all account he was a humble and generous person who will be sadly missed. Rest in peace Roy Scheider.