As much as Jaws is known for its horrifying suspense, the film also launched the modern blockbuster concept with its thrilling action sequences and truly memorable characters. Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss were famously at odds with each other, a relationship that ultimately enhanced their performances despite creating some more than uncomfortable conditions during filming. The thick tension between old, hardened Captain Quint and young, sarcastic oceanographer Matt Hooper is due in part to the actors' real-life on-set rivalry.
Whereas the first half of Jaws serves as a Hitchcockian thriller, the nautical adventure that takes up the majority of the second half established the type of colorful, action-packed adventure movies that director Steven Spielberg would be most recognized for later on in his career. The film's main characters are as famous as its shark; Chief Brody, Captain Quint, and Hooper all became instantly recognizable names in pop culture. Spielberg, working with the actors, transformed these would-be archetypes into fully fleshed out people with down-to-earth dialogue, relatable motivations, and humorous chemistry.
The relationship between Robert Shaw's Quint and Richard Dreyfuss' Quint is a standout example of the film's focus on character development. The two have a prickly rivalry with each other from the moment they meet up, with Quint's college-educated, acerbic geekiness clashing with Quint's gruff, blue-collar, seamanship. In reality, Shaw's competitive and brash personality led to an actual feud with Dreyfuss, who became increasingly annoyed at his co-star's attempts to rile him up.
Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw Had An On-Set Rivalry
According to Dreyfuss, he and Shaw started a friendly relationship before they shot their scenes together. In the Biography Channel documentary, Jaws: The Inside Story, the actor stated that Shaw privately maintained a kind and gentle demeanor, but on set, "he was possessed by some evil troll that would make me his victim. " The late Roy Scheider, who played Brody, posited that Shaw was bothered by Dreyfuss' inexperienced haughtiness and decided to put the young actor in his place. Shaw's habitual drinking didn't help calm his temper, either, and the enmity between the two started to grow.
Shaw notoriously taunted Dreyfuss for his weight and goaded him by daring him to perform daunting acts. In one instance, Shaw tried to convince Dreyfuss to climb to the mast of the boat and jump off. In addition, Shaw also mentally tampered with his rival right before the cameras started rolling, telling him to, "mind your mannerisms". Dreyfuss finally reached his boiling point when Shaw asked for help while he was walking down the boat's gangplank, bourbon in hand. In retaliation, Dreyfuss swatted the glass away while the crew held their breaths, and shot his next scene with Shaw pointing a fire hose at his face.
Spielberg admitted that for all the on-set drama and awkwardness the two actors caused, their tense relationship benefitted their performances. Considering the fact that Shaw was so friendly before shooting started, the actor's constant bullying may have even been his way of making the fictional rivalry between Quint and Hooper seem more natural. Among many other mishaps Jaws suffered during production, the difficulty of getting the two stars to work together ironically served to build the film's legacy.