‘Jaws 2’ and ‘Supergirl’ director Jeannot Szwarc dead at 85
French director Jeannot Szwarc has died aged 85. He was best known for making films such as Jaws 2, Supergirl, and Somewhere In Time.
Szwarc’s son, Sasha Szwarc, confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that his father passed away on January 14th at Central Hospital in Loches, France, due to respiratory failure.
Jane Seymour, who starred in 1980’s Somewhere In Time opposite Christopher Reeve, officially announced the late filmmaker’s death. Taking to Instagram, Seymour shared: “Today, we say goodbye to a true visionary. Jeannot Szwarc was not just a brilliant director but a kind and generous soul.”
The actor continued: “He gifted us many timeless stories, including Somewhere in Time, a film that changed my life forever. May his memory be a blessing, and may his artistry live on in our hearts.”
After moving from France to the United States to attend Harvard University, Szwarc started out in television, directing episodes of beloved series including Ironside, It Takes a Thief, The Virginian, Columbo, The New Perry Mason, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kojak and The Rockford Files.
Initially, Szwarc wasn’t set to be involved in Jaws 2 but entered the project as a last-minute replacement for Verna Fields. He reflected to Film Talk in 2019, ‘I didn’t know what was going on, I didn’t have a clue. So they gave me the script, I read it, and they asked, ‘What do you think?’ I told them that the dialogue was terrible, but the action was good.”
Other films in his catalogue include Santa Claus: The Movie, Bug, Extreme Close-Up, Enigma, and Supergirl.
In the 21st century, Szwarc returned to television, directing episodes for hugely successful shows such as Bones, Smallville, Grey’s Anatomy, Supernatural, CSI: Miami, and Scandal.
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