‘Jaws 2’ actor Marc Gilpin dies aged 56
Marc Gilpin, child actor of “Jaws 2”, has died. He was 56 years old.
The actor was best known for playing Sean Brody, the young son of Roy Scheider’s Martin Brody, in the 1978 shark-infested sequel.
His sister and “Frasier” actress Peri Gilpin confirmed the news of his death to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.
Marc suffered from glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer, and died at his home in Dallas, Texas on July 29.
Peri, known for playing Frasier producer Roz Doyle on the sitcom, also paid tribute to her brother and wife, Kaki Gilpin, in an emotional Instagram post.
“Kaki and Marc took care of each other with kindness, strength, dignity and priceless humor,” the 62-year-old wrote.
“When Marc fell ill, Kaki and their boys surrounded Marc with love, hugs and round-the-clock support and care. Just want to say how much I admire Kaki as a wife, mother, teacher freshman, sister and sister-in-law and fearless caregiver,” Peri continued.
She concluded: “You are an amazing person Kaki and [it’s] so easy to see how much he has always loved you and will always love you.
Marc had a short stint in Hollywood, credited with starring in only about 15 projects, the most recent of which was in 1989.
Alongside “Jaws 2”, Gilpin also made appearances in the 1981 films “The Legend of the Lone Ranger” and “Earthbound”.
He had a guest role in the 1979 television series “Fantasy Island” and “CHiPs”.
In 1985, he had a role in the movie “Surviving”, alongside Ellen Burstyn, River Phoenix and Molly Ringwald.
This breakout role led Gilpin to sign with a talent manager, who also began working with Peri.
Tinseltown’s other credits included spots on the show “Silver Spoons” and in the movie “She’s Out of Control.”
He retired from the entertainment industry in the late 1980s and pursued a career in software engineering.
Gilpin was diagnosed with cancer in May 2022 and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help pay for medical bills.
In their plea, they noted that doctors had found two tumors in his brain and he was undergoing treatment.
“So many people have contacted us over the past year to support us. It has been humbling,” Kaki wrote in the latest update, posted in May. “And I thought I was humble enough already. Damn. Marc is an incredibly strong man and he wants to continue the fight. Me too and our boys. Any parent would be so proud of their kids if you could see how Spencer and Presley live with that.