Biography
Roy Richard Scheider (November 10, 1932 — February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer. Described by AllMovie as "one of the most unique and distinguished of all Hollywood actors", he gained fame for his leading and supporting roles in celebrated films from the 1970s through to the early to mid-1980s. He was nominated for two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA Award. His best-known roles include Chief Martin Brody in Jaws (1975) and its sequel Jaws 2 (1978); NYPD De...
Known For
Complete Filmography
Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist
2023
as Self (archive footage)
A lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, the last film of Alexandre O. Philippe explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin’s mi...
Iron Cross
2009
as Joseph
Joseph, a retired New York police officer and Holocaust survivor, travels to Nuremberg to visit his son Ronnie years after turning his back on him for...
The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of "Jaws"
2009
as Narrator / Self
After three decades, Jaws continues to intrigue, thrill and frighten viewers. This documentary focuses on the many ways in which Jaws has helped to sh...
Dark Honeymoon
2008
as Sam
Dark Honeymoon follows a man who marries a seductive woman after a brief and passionate relationship. During their honeymoon, on the Pacific coast, te...
Chicago 10
2008
as Judge Julius Hoffman (voice)
Archival footage, animation and music are used to look back at the eight anti-war protesters who were put on trial following the 1968 Democratic Natio...
The Poet
2007
as Rabbi
At the dawn of World War 2, a Rabbi's daughter and a disenchanted German soldier fall in love and are separated by the war. They struggle on a perilou...
If I Didn't Care
2007
as Linus
When a maid is shot dead in the exclusive resort community of the Hamptons, private investigator Linus must play a dangerous game of cat and mouse wit...
Ride with the Angels: Making 'Blue Thunder'
2006
as Self
Making of 'Blue Thunder'
Dracula III: Legacy
2005
as Cardinal Siqueros
Dracula leads vampire hunters Father Uffizi and Luke back to Eastern Europe, and a country plagued by civil war.
Hollywood's Creepiest Creatures
2004
as Self
Elvira hosts this humorous look at movie monsters and facts about the real animals on which they're based. Included: clips from films; and interviews ...
The Punisher
2004
as Frank Castle, Sr.
When undercover FBI agent Frank Castle's wife and son are slaughtered, he becomes 'the Punisher' -- a ruthless vigilante willing to go to any length t...
Love Thy Neighbor
2003
as Fred
Two married couples are about to give new meaning to the phrase "Love Thy Neighbor." When these best friends become more than just friends, one simple...
Citizen Verdict
2003
as Bull Tyler
A sensationalist TV producer has a novel new idea to shake up American reality TV: Citizen Verdict, a live show where accused criminals are tried and ...
Dracula II: Ascension
2003
as Cardinal Siqueros
A group of medical students discover the body of the infamous count. Soon, they find themselves in the middle of a bizarre and dangerous conflict when...
A Decade Under the Influence
2003
as Self
A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential direc...
Red Serpent
2002
as Hassan
A powerful drug cartel in Moscow wants to use American businessman Steve Nichols in a smuggling scheme and ensures his cooperation by kidnapping his d...
King of Texas
2002
as Henry Westover
In this re-imagining of Shakespear's King Lear, Patrick Stewart stars as John Lear, a Texas cattle baron, who, after dividing his wealth among his thr...
Regulus: The First Nuclear Missile Submarines
2002
as Narrator
A documentary history of the development and deployment of the Cold War's ultimate weapon: the nuclear missile submarine. Features interviews with Nav...
Angels Don't Sleep Here
2002
as Mayor Harry S. Porter
A man is accused of murder and manipulated into a web of deceit as his thought-to-be dead twin brother plots revenge on those who tried to kill him.
Texas '46
2002
as Colonel Gartner
Based on a true story its the untold story of Italian World War II POW"S in Jan 1946. Luca Zingaretti stars as one of over 50,000 Italian Prisoners of...
Time Lapse
2001
as Agent La Nova
Clayton Pierce is an agent working under deep cover. Although he is a top agent, he is questioning his loyalty after twenty years of service. His devo...
Making the Connection: Untold Stories of The French Connection
2001
as Self
The exciting story of the making of William Friedkin's The French Connection (1971), hosted by former NYPD detective Sony Grosso, who inspired the cha...
Going the Distance: Remembering 'Marathon Man'
2001
as Self
This retrospective documentary offers a first-rate account of the making of 'Marathon Man'. Hoffman, Scheider, Keller and Goldman all share their memo...
The Making of Jaws 2
2001
as Self (archive footage)
A documentary giving film fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making of this sequel to the now-classic horror movie that had viewers too scared to go...
Daybreak
2000
as Stan Marshall
Dillan Johansen is a disorganized transit authority supervisor suffering from a serious personal tragedy. Dillan's bravery is put to the test the day ...
Hitler's Lost Sub
2000
as Narrator
In 1991, professional diver John Chatterton discovered a sunken German U-boat from World War II, lying undetected only 60 miles off the New Jersey sho...
The Doorway
2000
as Professor Lamont
Four young college students agree to fix up an abandoned home for rent, only to discover the demons within and an open doorway... to Hell.
Chain of Command
2000
as President Jack Cahill
Secret Service agents must retrieve the briefcase allowing the President control of America's nuclear arsenal before massive destruction ensues.
RKO 281
2000
as George Schaefer
In 1939, boy-wonder Orson Welles leaves New York, where he has succeeded in radio and theater, and, hired by RKO Pictures, moves to Hollywood with the...
The Poughkeepsie Shuffle: Tracing 'The French Connection'
2000
as Self
A documentary on the production of The French Connection (1971).
Falling Through
2000
as Earl
A newly hired security expert on the American Embassy in Paris questions who to trust, as he investigates an elaborate passport faking scheme.
Silver Wolf
1999
as John Rockwell
A boy learns to deal with personal loss by making friends with a wild animal in this drama for the entire family. Jesse is a 16-year-old who is trying...
Jaws 5
1999
as Martin Brody (archive footage)
Holidaying in Amity, Harry unwittingly stumbles across a washed-up Jaws. Taking the shark under his wing, Harry begins to arrange a comeback tour for ...
The White Raven
1998
as Tom Heath
A journalist gets pulled into an intrigue by his editor that involves a story that he received a Pulitzer for years before. It seems that the second l...
Better Living
1998
as Larry
A comedy about families, the elements that bind them together, and about hope in the face of hardship.
Money Play$
1998
as Johnny Tobin
When a money mule has a fatal heart attack at a Nevada brothel, the contents of the money vest is hidden by Irene. Her regular customer Johnny is her ...
Evasive Action
1998
as Enzo Marcelli
When Redwood Federal Penitentiary closes, there are going to be several hundred prisoners looking for a new home. Several of the most dangerous, all k...
World's Deadliest Sea Creatures
1998
as Narrator
Special features real-life incidents of man vs. sea beast, from shark attacks to encounters with crocodiles. Includes interviews with survivors of und...
The Rainmaker
1997
as Wilfred Keeley
When Rudy Baylor, a young attorney with no clients, goes to work for a seedy ambulance chaser, he wants to help the parents of a terminally ill boy in...
The Myth of Fingerprints
1997
as Hal
When a New England dysfunctional family gathers for Thanksgiving, past demons reveal themselves as one son returns for the first time in three years.
The Peacekeeper
1997
as President Robert Baker
When a terrorist group steals the US President's personal communications computer for launching the US arsenal in case of war, only a heroic Major has...
The Rage
1997
FBI Special Agent Travis is trying to catch a deranged serial killer and is doing his best despite having a new and unexperienced partner in the form ...
Executive Target
1997
as President Carlson
His wife held hostage, a stunt driver is forced to drive a getaway car in a plot to kidnap the President from a motorcade.
The Definite Maybe
1997
as Eddie Jacobson
When 25-year-old New Yorker Eric Traber gets fired from his job and kicked out of his apartment, he fears the worst. But his best friend, Ziggy, shows...
Plato's Run
1997
as Senarkian
Hired to rescue escaped inmates, a Florida man is framed for a Cuban gangster's assassination.
The Making of 'Jaws'
1995
as Self
A documentary on the making of one of the greatest films ever made, filled with trivia, interviews from cast and crew and never-before-seen footage.
Masters of Illusion: The Wizards of Special Effects
1994
as Self - Host
Documentary focused on the creation of movie and television special effects, hosted by Roy Scheider and Jonathan Brandis, featuring behind the scenes ...
Wild Justice
1994
as Peter Stride
Colonel Peter Stride is on the trail of a mysterious international criminal known only as Caliph.
Romeo Is Bleeding
1993
as Don Falcone
A corrupt cop gets in over his head when he tries to assassinate a beautiful Russian hit-woman.
When It Was a Game 2
1992
as Passage Narrator (voice)
Composed entirely of never-before-seen 8mm and 16mm footage filmed between 1925 and 1961 by baseball players, their families and their fans, this seco...
Naked Lunch
1991
as Dr. Benway
Blank-faced bug killer Bill Lee and his dead-eyed wife, Joan, like to get high on Bill's pest poisons while lounging with Beat poet pals. After meetin...
When It Was a Game
1991
as (voice)
As seen through the eyes of true baseball enthusiasts, this award-winning documentary tells the story of America's favorite pastime from the Depressio...
The Russia House
1990
as Russell
Barley Scott Blair, a Lisbon-based editor of Russian literature who unexpectedly begins working for British intelligence, is commissioned to investiga...
The Fourth War
1990
as Col. Jack Knowles
Cold War adversaries Col. Jack Knowles and his Russian counterpart, Col. Valachev, are stationed on opposite sides of the German-Czech border. Both me...
Bob Fosse: Steam Heat
1990
as Joe Gideon (archive footage)
A documentary profile of director/choreographer Bob Fosse. Includes clips from his films and television specials as well as interviews with Fosse, rem...
Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture
1990
as Paul Marish
Taut thriller about a photographer who races the clock to clear a man about to be executed.
Night Game
1989
as Seaver
A police detective tracks a serial killer who is stalking young women on a beach front after each game that a baseball pitcher wins.
Listen to Me
1989
as Charlie Nichols
It was the best time of their lives. A kid from Oklahoma. An immigrant's daughter. A senator's son, a society girl, and a college professor with a dre...
Cohen and Tate
1989
as Cohen
A boy kidnapped by two mismatched hitmen puts them at each other's throats while being driven to their employers, possibly to be killed. Cohen, an old...
Jaws: The Revenge
1987
as Martin Brody (archive footage)
After another deadly shark attack, Ellen Brody decides she has had enough of New England's Amity Island and moves to the Caribbean to join her son, Mi...
52 Pick-Up
1986
as Harry Mitchell
Harry Mitchell is a successful Los Angeles manufacturer whose wife is running for city council. His life is turned upside down when three blackmailers...
The Men's Club
1986
as Cavanaugh
Seven men have a group session and share their feelings on women, love, life and work.
Follies: In Concert
1986
as Narrator
A backstage documentary film including footage from the legendary 1985 concert performance of Stephen Sondheim's classic musical at Lincoln Center's A...
2010
1984
as Dr. Heywood Floyd
While planet Earth poises on the brink of nuclear self-destruction, a team of Russian and American scientists aboard the Leonov hurtles to a rendezvou...
Tiger Town
1984
as Billy Young
Facing his final season with the Detroit Tigers baseball team, veteran outfielder Billy Young sees his dream of playing in the World Series slipping a...
2010 : The Odyssey Continues
1984
as Himself
This promotional short for 2010 (1984) shows moviegoers how some of the film's visual effects were created. This includes makeup for Keir Dullea's cha...
Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number
1983
as Jacobo Timerman
An Argentinian newspaper publisher is imprisoned by his government for dissent.
Blue Thunder
1983
as Murphy
Los Angeles, California. Officer Murphy, a veteran Metropolitan Police helicopter pilot suffering from severe trauma due to his harsh experiences duri...
Still of the Night
1982
as Doctor Sam Rice
When one of his patients is found murdered, psychiatrist Dr. Sam Rice is visited by the investigating officer but refuses to give up any information. ...
All That Jazz
1979
as Joe Gideon
Joe Gideon is at the top of the heap, one of the most successful directors and choreographers in musical theater. But he can feel his world slowly col...
Last Embrace
1979
as Harry Hannan
Secret agent Harry Hannan suffers a mental breakdown when a botched mission in Mexico results in the death of his wife. He is sent to a mental asylum,...
Jaws 2
1978
as Police Chief Martin Brody
Police chief Brody must protect the citizens of Amity after a second monstrous shark begins terrorizing the waters.
Sorcerer
1977
as Scanlon / "Dominguez"
Four men from different parts of the globe, all hiding from their pasts in the same remote South American town, agree to risk their lives transporting...
Marathon Man
1976
as Doc
A graduate student and obsessive runner in New York is drawn into a mysterious plot involving his brother, a member of the secretive Division.
Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York
1975
as Sam Stoneman
Sheila Levine – an innovative, bright, but painfully introverted individual – arrives in New York City to take an apartment with a partygoing roommate...
Jaws
1975
as Brody
When the seaside community of Amity finds itself under attack by a dangerous great white shark, the town's chief of police, a young marine biologist, ...
New England Our Way
1974
as Self
The program is a fascinating look some at the key people involved with JAWS before it was released. It contains interviews with the “big three” of Sch...
The Seven-Ups
1973
as Buddy - Seven-Up
A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for ...
The Outside Man
1972
as Lenny
A French hit man is hired by a crime family to end the life of a rival mobster, but things fall apart when the boss who hired him is killed.
The Assassination
1972
as Michael Howard
Darien, a left-wing police informant, is forced to lure his old friend Sadiel to Paris, allegedly to film a television special about the Third World. ...
Assignment: Munich
1972
as Jack Webster
Undercover agent, using his bar as a front, battles three killers to find a stolen fortune.
To Be Young, Gifted and Black
1972
A mosaic biopic on Lorraine Hansberry, based on the stage play combining her unpublished writings, letters, and diaries.
The French Connection
1971
as Buddy Russo
Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.
Klute
1971
as Frank Ligourin
A high-priced call girl is forced to depend on a reluctant private eye when she is stalked by a psychopath.
Puzzle of a Downfall Child
1970
as Mark
Lou Andreas Sand, a once famous model, recalls her past as she tries to make success in the modeling world of New York, her stressfull workdays, her a...
Loving
1970
as Skip
Brooks Wilson is in crisis. He is torn between his wife Selma and two daughters and his mistress Grace, and also between his career as a successful il...
Stiletto
1969
as Bennett
A rich, jet-setting playboy has a secret life: he's also a professional Mafia hitman. When he decides it's time to retire from that life, he finds tha...
Paper Lion
1968
as Man (uncredited)
Sportswriter George Plimpton poses as a rookie quarterback for the Detroit Lions for a "Sports Illustrated" article.
The Curse of the Living Corpse
1964
as Philip Sinclair
The wealthy patriarch of the Sinclair family lives in mortal fear of being buried alive because he suffers from a rare condition that causes him, at t...
Smiles
1964
A short film by John G. Avildsen.
A Wind from the South
1955
as Dancer (uncredited)
Set in Ireland, the story centers on a day in the life of Shevawn, an innocent, 30-year-old dreamer who is domineered by her innkeeper brother. An Ame...