Why the Chance to Play Roy Scheider Brought Him Back to Broadway
Colin Donnell on starring in The Shark Is Broken about the making of Jaws
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For the few who haven’t seen Jaws, it’s the story of three disparate men—Scheider’s police chief Brody, Dreyfuss’ marine biologist Hooper and Shaw’s professional shark hunter Quint—teaming up to kill a bloodthirsty shark that’s terrorizing beachgoers in a New England town. Much of the drama stems from the characters not getting along. Reportedly, the actors didn’t enjoy each other’s company either, and the tension was exacerbated by shooting delays caused by inclement weather, a glitchy mechanical villain and too-much alcohol flowing on a too-small boat. The Shark Is Broken is an affectionate, fictionalized take on the behind-the-scenes drama featuring three actors who have an uncanny physical resemblance to the ’70s stars they portray, enhanced by spot-on costuming by Duncan Henderson.
Speaking to Donnell, he exudes a Scheider-like levelheadedness. That’s part of why Shaw wanted him for the show. “He evokes an air of trust and avuncularity,” says Shaw, who starred opposite different actors in the Olivier-nominated production of The Shark Is Broken on London’s West End. “Roy was quite a sort of centered man, you know, balanced. And Colin has all those qualities and more.”
It certainly requires self-assurance to play the calm and quiet one in between Shaw’s boozy interpretation of his dad and Brightman’s neurotic Dreyfuss, but Donnell is undeterred. In fact, he revels in it. “It’s a wonderful, unique challenge,” he says. “Audiences tend to check in with Roy to see exactly how we should be feeling. It’s all part and parcel with being connected and as in the moment as I possibly can be alongside Alex and Ian.”
To play such a well-known actor—Scheider’s 50-plus-year career included movies, TV and theatre until he died of cancer in 2008—Donnell knew he had to do the research. He watched Jaws promotional interviews and archival footage and read articles about the film to get a sense of who Roy Scheider was off-screen. And, of course, he talked to Shaw who, as Robert’s son, had unprecedented access to his father’s journals.
“Roy was a fascinating guy and Ian wrote a lot of that into the show,” Donnell says. “Roy was the consummate professional. He was always gonna deliver. I find a certain kinship to the way that he worked. I try to be that kind of person who shows up, does his work, goes home and is able to leave it all behind at the end of the day.”
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TDF MEMBERS: At press time, discount tickets were available for The Shark Is Broken.
Jen Gushue is a freelance theatre writer with bylines in American Theatre, HowlRound and Business Insider. They are also a Supervising Editor at Wirecutter. Follow them on Twitter at @jengushue.