Richard Dreyfuss recalls initially saying 'no' to 'Jaws' as movie returns to theaters

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Richard Dreyfuss‘ 1975 film classic, „Jaws,“ was back in theaters this weekend. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 5 (UPI) — Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss tweeted this weekend about his initial response to Steven Spielberg’s offer to cast him in his 1975 shark blockbuster, Jaws.

„When they asked me to do Jaws I said no,“ Dreyfuss, 74, posted on Saturday.

„I said I wanted to watch it but not have to shoot it. Eventually I came to my senses. It only took a few weeks into production to realize that Steven was a genius and he was going to change the world. RIP Rob & Roy.“

The thriller followed characters played by Dreyfuss, Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider as they hunted down the Great White shark terrorizing a Massachusetts beach community dependent on tourism just before the Fourth of July.

The movie, which features an instantly recognizable music score by John Williams, was released back in U.S. theaters for the long Labor Day weekend and earned more than $3.3 million in receipts Friday through Monday.

When they asked me to do Jaws I said no. I said I wanted to watch it but not have to shoot it. Eventually I came to my senses. It only took a few weeks into production to realize that Steven was a genius and he was going to change the world. RIP Rob & Roypic.twitter.com/pmVn74jFIg— Richard Dreyfuss (@RichardDreyfuss) September 4, 2022