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Lee Fierro, best-known as Alex Kintner’s mom in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 shark attack classic “Jaws,” died Sunday of complications from the coronavirus. She was 91. The actress was residing at an assisted living facility in Ohio when she died from COVID-19, the Martha’s Vineyard Times reports. “The one word I would think of when I …
Lee Fierro, best-known as Alex Kintner’s mom in Steven Spielberg’s 1975 shark attack classic “Jaws,” died Sunday of complications from the coronavirus. She was 91.
The actress was residing at an assisted living facility in Ohio when she died from COVID-19, the Martha’s Vineyard Times reports.
“The one word I would think of when I think of Lee is dedication. I’ve watched her as a performer, director and businesswoman and then we became friends. She was my teacher and mentor,” according to Kevin Ryan, artistic director and board president for Island Theatre Workshop, a program Fierro supported during her 40-plus years living on Martha’s Vineyard.
In her iconic scene from “Jaws,” an enraged Fierro confronts Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) and slaps him in the face.
“I just found out that a girl got killed here last week and you knew, you knew there was a shark out there. You knew it was dangerous, but you let people go swimming anyway,” her character says, sobbing. “You knew all those things and still my boy is dead now, and there’s nothing you can do about it. My boy is dead.”
Nicki Galland, a novelist who credits Fierro for inspiring her creativity, told the Martha’s Vineyard outlet that Fierro “was tickled by [her cult film notoriety]. She found it really entertaining. She would say, ‘If you told me that’s what I’d be known for, I wouldn’t believe it.’ She had no screen training. She trained as a theater actor.”
Fierro went on to reprise her role in 1987’s subpar “Jaws: The Revenge” opposite Michael Caine.
During her time with the Island Theatre Workshop, Ryan estimates Fierro taught more than 1,000 students and directed over 100 live productions during her time as artistic director.
“I would still call Lee for artistic discussion and commentary . . . She was fiercely dedicated to the mission of teaching,” Ryan added. “She was a good friend, mentor and a very busy community member when she was in Martha’s Vineyard.”
Fierro is survived by her five children, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. A small service is planned by her family in Ohio with a memorial service in Martha’s Vineyard at a later date, Deadline reports.
