Susan Backlin she died on May 11, at the age of 77. Matthew Templeton, the actress' agent, reported her death to The Daily Jaws.
In Steven Spielberg's famous 1975 film “Jaws” she played Chrissie's girlfriend, who is the first to die in a shark attack while swimming. Backline was 28 years old at the time and was an accomplished swimmer, professional diver and animal trainer. Shooting for this famous scene took three days.
“I didn't want an actress for the role. I needed a stuntwoman because I needed someone who was comfortable in the water and would know how to survive what I imagined was a brutal tossing around in the water. So I looked for stuntwomen and Susan was up to the task. “She was wearing a harness with ropes attached to it. Ten people were pulling on it on the shore. There was a ribbon attached to the ropes that showed when to stop pulling on one side and start pulling on the other,” Spielberg recalled in his book about the production of “Jaws.” “.
Susan Backlinie was born on September 1, 1946. The crew of Spielberg's film found her in Canada while she was training a tiger.
“If you choose me, you will be able to record close-ups during the stunt. When using the actress, she will have to cover her face,” she explained in the documentary about the making of “Jaws.”
“I had fins because when I was pulled in one direction, I went under the water and I had to kick as hard as I could to stay above the water. It took a lot of energy,” she recalled.
Susan Backlinie also appeared in another Steven Spielberg film, namely in the famous comedy “1941”.
She retired from stunt work after appearing in an episode of the television series “The Fall Guy”.