‘Jaws’ actress Lee Fierro dead at 91 from coronavirus complications

April 06, 2020


Lee Fierro, best-known as Alex Kintner’s mom in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 shark attack classic “Jaws,” died on Sunday from coronavirus complications. She was 91.

The actress was residing at an assisted living facility in Ohio when she died from COVID-19, the Martha’s Vineyard Times reports.

“The one word I would think of when I think of Lee is dedication. I’ve watched her as a performer, director and business woman and then we became friends. She was my teacher and mentor,” according to Kevin Ryan, artistic director and board president for Island Theatre Workshop, a program Fierro supported during her 40-plus years living on Martha’s Vineyard.

In her iconic scene from “Jaws,” an enraged Fierro confronts Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) and slaps him in the face.

“I just found out that a girl got killed here last week and you knew, you knew there was a shark out there. You knew it was dangerous, but you let people go swimming anyway,” her character said, sobbing. “You knew all those things and still my boy is dead now, and there’s nothing you can do about it. My boy is dead. I wanted you to

Nicki Galland, a novelist who credits Fierro for inspiring her creativity, told the Martha’s Vineyard outlet that Fierro was “was tickled by [cult film notoriety]. She found it really entertaining. She would say, ‘If you told me that’s what I’d be known for, I wouldn’t believe it.’ She had no screen training. She trained as a theater actor — know that.”

Fierro went on to reprise her role in  1987’s subpar “Jaws: The Revenge” opposite Michael Caine.

During her time with the Island Theater Workshop, Ryan estimated Fierro taught more than 1000 students and directed over 100 live productions during her time as artistic director.

“I would still call Lee for artistic discussion and commentary … She was fiercely dedicated to the mission of teaching,” Ryan added. “She was a good friend, mentor and a very busy community member when she was in Martha’s Vineyard.”

Fierro is survived by her five children, seven grand-children and seven great-grandchildren. A small service is planned by her family in Ohio with a memorial service in Martha’s Vineyard at a later date, Deadline reported.

  • Share:

You Might Also Like

0 comments