As reported by Variety and confirmed by The Martha’s Vineyard Times, Lee Fiero—who had a memorable role in Jaws and spent decades as an acting teacher in Martha’s Vineyard—has died of complications from the coronavirus. Fierro had been living at an assisted care facility in Ohio. She was 91.
In Jaws, Fierro played Mrs. Kintner, the mother of the second person to be killed by the rampaging shark in Steven Spielberg’s iconic film. After learning that another person had died and that Roy Scheider’s Chief Brody allowed the beaches to stay open anyway, she marches up to him in full funeral attire and slaps him on the face. It’s the kind of scene that highlights what’s so great about Jaws, as in just a moment Fierro is able to show why the shark is so terrifying and why the cost of ignoring the threat it poses is so high. She reprised the role of Mrs. Kintner in Jaws: The Revenge.
Fierro was a drama teacher at the Island Theatre Workshop in Martha’s Vineyard when Spielberg filmed the movie, and she served as the organization’s artistic director for more than 25 years. According to The Martha’s Vineyard Times, she mentored more than 1,000 children in her time there and was “fiercely dedicated to the mission of teaching.” Kevin Ryan, the workshop’s current artistic director, said that he knows why the Jaws scene is iconic but wants people to know that Fierro’s legacy goes beyond that, noting that she built a theater company that is still in operation 52 years later.
33 Comments
I wonder why she didn’t retire on Martha’s Vinyard. Too expensive? RIP. She for sure gave a memorable performance in Jaws.
According to the link in the article, her family had made the decision for her to move to Ohio to be closer to them in 2017. There aren’t many options for seniors on the island, due to cost and availability https://vineyardgazette.com/news/2017/03/02/high-costs-few-options-leave-seniors-housing-dilemma
very expensive.
Too bad she didn’t get a chance to slap Trump in the face. “You knew! You knew! And you let people go out there anyway!”
And too bad we don’t have a leader with the integrity for the follow-up:“I’m sorry, Martin. She’s wrong.”“No, she’s not.”
Instead we just get this guy: “Can you do that?”“I can do anything, I’m the President of the United States.”
Oh give me a break. The Democrats throw a tantrum and a
roadblock over everything Trump does just out of hatred and spite. You act like
the left is listening to any prescriptions Trump has to make about this. It’s always spun into claims of racism or xenophobia.
President Trump banned travel to the
United States from China by foreign nationals in late January, citing public
health concerns but Pelosi said on Feb. 24., “Come to Chinatown, here we are
…come join us.’”
On the one hand I’d love for her ghost to haunt him but on the other I hope her ghost has better shit to do.
She’s gotta teach someone the true meaning of Christmas.
My father passed away from the COVID-19 virus on Friday, and I am basically living that scene right now.
I also work about four blocks from the White House (though I’m home with my family several states away at the moment), and if the secret service weren’t likely to arrest me for trying, I’d reenact it in person.
i’m sorry.
I’m so sorry. Please be careful.
I’m sorry to hear that. Luckily, I don’t personally know anyone yet who has been affected by the virus, other than the inconvenience of quarantine and the uncertain financial future.
I wish I could say the same. It’s not even just my father – my 22-year-old cousin has it (albeit luckily a mild case), and a friend’s husband (David Lat, if you’ve read about him) was just discharged after being on a ventilator. And I fear this is all just the beginning.
If people take anything away from all this, it should be to take this seriously. It’s not a joke, it’s not an overreaction, and it’s not a “this could never happen to you” thing. It’s genuinely, unquestionably, horrifyingly real.
Sorry for your loss.
That’s awful. I’m really sorry. I hope you’re doing okay.May the wind always be at your back..
I’m so sorry for your loss.
Sympathies to you and your family.
Too bad she didn’t get to slap every trump voter in the face.“You knew he was a retard. You knew he was a fraud. You knew all those things, and you voted for him anyway!”
Oh give me a break. The Democrats throw a tantrum and a roadblock over everything Trump does just out of hatred and spite. You act like the left would have listened to any prescription Trump would have made about this. It’s always spun into claims of racism or xenophobia. President Trump banned travel to the United States from China by foreign nationals in late January, citing public health concerns but Pelosi said on Feb. 24., “Come to Chinatown, here we are …come join us.’”
Oh give me a break. The Democrats throw a tantrum and a roadblock over everything Trump does just out of hatred and spite. You act like the left would have listened to any prescription Trump would have made about this. It’s always spun into claims of racism or xenophobia. President Trump banned travel to the United States from China by foreign nationals in late January, citing public health concerns but Pelosi said on Feb. 24., “Come to Chinatown, here we are …come join us.’”
Oh give me a break. The Democrats throw a tantrum and a roadblock over everything
Trump does just out of hatred and spite. You act like the left is listening to any prescriptions Trump has to make about this. It’s always spun into claims of racism or xenophobia.
President Trump banned travel to the
United States from China by foreign nationals in late January, citing public
health concerns but Pelosi said on Feb. 24., “Come to Chinatown, here we are …come join us.’”
I love the story that they had to film that scene like 15 times. Roys face was red as a tomato by the end. Great lady, rest in piece.
How was your day?
Are you happy in your work?
Holy shit I’ve been singing this for the past few days, for no reason 😂
Do you accuse your parents?
Relevant, I swear!
http://www.youtubetime.comLets you set the video to start at the interesting part (the viewer always has the option to go to the beginning and watch the whole thing)
That’s already an option within YouTube. Absolutely no need to go anywhere else.Pause it where you want playback to begin, click the share button, check the box labeled “start at”:
Pretty obscure assosciation with this virus.
I love the story in the Jaws imdb trivia page about her reconnecting with the actor who played her son.
Several decades after the release of Jaws (1975), Lee Fierro,
who played Mrs. Kintner, walked into a seafood restaurant and noticed
that the menu had an “Alex Kintner Sandwich.” She commented that she had
played his mother so many years ago; the owner of the restaurant ran
out to meet her, and he was none other than Jeffrey Voorhees, who had played her son. They had not seen each other since the original movie shoot.
From:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/trivia