Marc Gilpin, best known for his role in "Jaws 2," has died at age 56.
The actor's sister, Peri Gilpin, confirmed that Marc Gilpin died Saturday in Dallas after a long battle with glioblastoma, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Born in Austin on Sept. 26, 1966, Marc Gilpin began his acting career at the age of 4 with a national commercial for Exxon. In 1977, he appeared on an episode of the Saturday morning NBC series "Thunder." He then starred in the family film "Where's Willy?" (1978) before joining the cast of "Jaws 2."
Gilpin starred as Sean Brody, the younger son of Roy Scheider's Police Chief Martin Brody, in the 1978 sequel to the blockbuster "Jaws." He beat out hundreds of other boys to clinch the role after answering a casting call. He was 11 when the film hit theaters.
During an appearance in "The Shark Is Still Working" documentary, Gilpin recalled his time on the set and how he and several other members of the cast were stalked by a hammerhead shark during filming one day.
"I remember it clear as day," he said. "That sucker must've' been at least 15-feet long. The shot called for us going, 'Hey! There's a shark!' We're freaking out and everything.
"What they didn't realize is that we were really scared and that raft was not the most stable that we were on ... and so, we're shouting to them, 'There's a shark! There's a shark! We've gotta get out of the water! You need to put us on the barge.' They're going, 'Great! Keep doing it just like that!'"
Marc and Peri Gilpin lost their two sisters, April, 48, and Patti, 57, in 2017 and 2020, respectively. Marc Gilpin is survived by his wife of 24 years, Kaki, and their two sons, Spencer, 18, and Presley, 16.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
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