Yahoo Lifestyle Jeannot Szwarc Dies: French Director Of ‘Jaws 2’ & ‘Supergirl’ Was 85
Jeannot Szwarc, the French director known for Jaws 2, Supergirl and The Rockford Files, has died. He was 85.
Jane Seymour, who starred alongside the late Christopher Reeve in Szwarc’s 1980 film Somewhere in Time, announced the director’s death Wednesday with a heartfelt statement on social media.
More from Deadline
Joan Plowright Dies: Oscar-Nominated British Acting Legend Was 95
Patricia Arquette Reacts To 'Lost Highway' Director David Lynch's Death: "Nobody Like Him"
“Today, we say goodbye to a true visionary,” she wrote on Instagram. “Jeannot Szwarc was not just a brilliant director but a kind and generous soul. He gifted us many timeless stories, including Somewhere in Time, a film that changed my life forever. May his memory be a blessing, and may his artistry live on in our hearts.”
Producer Jeffrey Kramer, who worked with Szwarc on several titles over the years, wrote on Instagram, “RIP my dear JEANNOT SZWARC One of the finest most talented souls I was privileged to know!”
Born Nov. 21, 1939 in Paris, Szwarc graduated from Harvard University before he began directing episodes of TV shows like Ironside, It Takes a Thief, The Virginian, Columbo, The New Perry Mason, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kojak and The Rockford Files through the 1960s and ’70s.
In addition to directing movies like Extreme Close-Up (1973), Bug (1975) Enigma (1982) and Santa Claus: The Movie (1985), Szwarc continued working in television through the decades on Night Gallery, JAG, CSI: Miami, Ally McBeal, Smallville, Heroes, Bones, Supernatural, Designated Survivor, Grey’s Anatomy, Fringe, Scandal and Castle.
DEADLINE RELATED VIDEO:
Best of Deadline
2025 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Oscars, Spirits, Grammys, Tonys, Guilds & More
‘Severance’ Cast Through Seasons 1 And 2: Innies, Outies, Severed and Unsevered
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
