Remembering Roy Scheider

I just read that Roy Scheider passed away yesterday, due to complications from a staph infection. He was 75 years old. (Here's his obituary from the New York Times.)

While you wouldn't call Scheider an action hero, he was in one of the favorite movies of my childhood, Blue Thunder. Remember those days in the 1980s, when it was all about souped-up super vehicles? Knight Rider, Firefox, Airwolf, etc.? Blue Thunder was the helicopter of the bunch. (I know Airwolf was a helicopter too, but I liked Blue Thunder better.) Here's the original trailer:



(I was thinking of posting a clip from All That Jazz, but most of them aren't entirely safe for work.)

Scheider's probably far better known for starring in Jaws as Police Chief Brody, and that's probably the first movie of his that comes to my mind, too. But I always thought he was cool for getting to fly that helicopter, even if that was far from his best role.

EDIT: After posting this, I remembered that Scheider also played a Detroit Tiger in the made-for-TV movie Tiger Town. Yet another reason I thought the man was cool.

(via Hollywood Elsewhere)