Following on from one of the most iconic horror films of all time is never an easy task, but a troubled production and a star who notoriously was unhappy with being on-set made it near impossible for Jaws 2 to live up to the original movie. While it doesn’t quite have the bite of its predecessor, it’s still a pretty entertaining watch, albeit one that doesn’t really seem to have a purpose beyond an attempts by studio heads to eke out as much profit from an idea as possible. Nonetheless, many of the original cast returned for the second swing at a movie about a gigantic, man-eating shark, but there were plenty of new faces in the film too. So what happened to them all? Read ahead to find out about the Jaws 2 cast now, and the most famous roles that they’ve taken on throughout their careers.
Wait…what happens in Jaws 2?
Honestly, kind of the same thing that happens in Jaws. After a series of increasingly worrying incidents, Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) once again suspects another gigantic great white shark is stalking the fictional resort town of Amity Island. And, once again, people don’t believe him, but he’s ultimately proven correct. If it ain’t broke…
Roy Scheider as Chief Martin Brody
Famously, the film’s star Roy Scheider was only in Jaws 2 because of a contractual obligation, but you wouldn’t know it as he once again puts in a fine performance as the Cassandrist police chief warning the world about a killer shark. Scheider was already an Oscar-nominated actor by the time he was in the original Jaws, so the film didn’t turn him into more of a star than he already was, but he certainly continued to have an excellent career following his time as Brody. Scheider is probably most famous for Jaws, but his most acclaimed performance and film is the action mystery The French Connection, for which he earned his Academy Award nomination. He died in 2008.
Lorraine Gary as Ellen Brody
Lorraine Gary reprises her role as the wife of Chief Brody, Ellen. In the film, Ellen is once agian vital to rescuing a number of people from the murderous shark after her husband’s stark warnings are ignored by the powers that be, and Gary is as great as she was in the original, delivering drama at the right moments without letting it slip into ridiculousness. Playing Ellen in Jaws was probably Gary’s most famous role, although she also had a small part in the cult classic Car Wash, and played a role in Spielberg’s ensemble wartime comedy 1941, after which she mostly retired from acting, returning for one more Jaws film.
Murray Hamilton as Mayor Larry Vaughn
The population of Amity Island are a mighty forgiving bunch, because the town’s mayor and human villain from the first film Larry Vaughn is still in charge, and is once again played by Murray Hamilton. Vaughn acts as a stark reminder of the idiocy of politicians and perils of putting profits over human lives by ignoring the warning signs about another dangerous shark. Hamilton had already had a storried career by the time of Jaws 2, having appeared in classic films like The Graduate and Anatomy of a Murder. The year after Jaws 2 was released, he also had a role as a priest in the iconic scary movie The Amityville Horror.
Jeffery Kramer as Deputy Jeff Hendricks
Another Jaws alumn, Jeffery Kramer is back as Deputy Jeff Hendricks, the reluctant but occasionally helpful aide to Brody as the chief tries to convince everybody there’s a huge shark eating swimmers. Kramer brings a great nervous energy to the role, and it’s not surprising he was asked to return in the sequel. Kramer’s career as an actor was a little sporadic after the Jaws franchise, although he wound up with small parts in numerous iconic shows like M.A.S.H and Happy Days, as well as having roles in Clue and Halloween II. However, he found great success as a producer, even winning an Emmy for The Practice.
Ann Dusenberry as Tina Wilcox
Probably the most important victim in the film (although she survives), Tina Wilcox is the one whose confirmation of the shark’s existence is the action that spurs people beyond just Brody acting to try and stop the dangerous creature. Wilcox, played by Ann Dusenberry, doesn’t have the nicest time in the film: after her boat is smacked by the shark, she has to watch her boyfriend be mauled to death. Dusenberry had a few big name appearances aside from Jaws 2, including playing the role of Amy March in a 1978 NBC two-part adaptation of Little Women, and a part in National Lampoon’s Movie Madness. She also briefly had a starring role alongside legend Lucille Ball in Living With Lucy, although the series only lasted one season.
Mark Gruner as Mike Brody
Mark Gruner plays the part of Michael “Mike” Brody, the son of Ellen and Chief Martin who has inexplicably appeared after missing the events of the original Jaws. Like all teens, he disobeys his parents when they ban him from things, but in this case that activity is sailing, and Mike’s rule-breaking leads to a whole bunch of trouble for himself and his friends. Jaws 2 was probably the highlight of Gruner’s career in terms of popularity, but he managed to get on a few other famous productions (like The Brady Bunch and Fantastic Planet) before the seaside horror film, which was his last bit of work.
Marc Gilpin as Sean Brody
Another Brody son who appears for the second film, Sean is unfortunate enough to have an accommodating older brother who takes him out sailing, even when their parents have warned them not to. Thankfully, the younger Brody sibling is saved depsite his brother’s recklessness, although he has to watch someone who jumps in to the water to save him from being eaten, so he probably had to do a lot of therapy to get over that. The part is played by Marc Gilpin, who at the time of Jaws 2 was a relative newbie to the child acting scene. In the years following the film, he was in a few other movies and television shows, but nothing that quite had the commercial success of the shark sequel.
John Dukakis as Paul ‘Polo’ Loman
While John Dukakis’ character doesn’t do much of note in Jaws 2, he’s probably the cast member with the most unique background. After Jaws 2, he did try to make it as an actor for a few years, appearing in Taxi and Split Image, but his life soon took a different turn. His stepfather, Michael Dukakis, was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988, and John ended up being heavily involved in the campaign. After Michael lost the election to George H. W. Bush, John went into the music business and ended up being involved in the careers of a number of superstars, including Janet Jackson, although he was most hands-on with New Kids on the Block.
Martha Swatek as Marge
Marge is one of the heroes of Jaws 2, sacrificing herself to save the life of Sean, all because his older brother wanted to go sailing. It might surprise watchers to find out this was her only acting credit, as she is quite good in her limited time, but she didn’t appear in any other films or shows. She was, however, a model for a brief period of time.
Donna Wilkes as Jackie Peters
Although she had a bit part in Jaws 2, playing Mike’s love interest, Wilkes had one of the more successful post-Jaws 2 careers out of the cast. She was in the main cast of Hello, Larry, a sitcom that aired for two seasons on NBC that also had crossover episodes with the iconic show Diff’rent Strokes. She became a bit of a horror film specialist, too, taking on leading roles in Grotesque, Blood Song, and Schizoid. However, her biggest roles were probably a recurring part on Days of Our Lives, and the leading character in the crime thriller Angel.
