Biography

Lorraine Gary was born on August 16th, 1937 in New York. Lorraine was raised in Los Angeles. At age 16, she won a best actress award in a competition at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse. She was offered a scholarship to enroll at the Pasadena Playhouse, but declined said offer and attended Columbia University as a political science major, instead. Lorraine began her acting career in the late 60s doing guest appearances on several popular TV shows. Gary achieved her greatest and most enduring fame with her excellent portrayal of Sheriff Roy Scheider's caring and concerned wife in the first two "Jaws" pictures. Lorraine further demonstrated her considerable versatility with funny performances in the amusing comedies Car Wash (1976), Zero to Sixty (1978) and 1941 (1979). Among the television programs she's done guest spots on are The Rookies (1972), Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969), Kojak (1973), Ironside (1967), The F.B.I. (1965), The Virginian (1962), McCloud (1970) and Dragnet 1967 (1967). She came out of voluntary retirement to assume a rare substantial starring role in the regrettably dreadful Jaws: The Revenge (1987) but, alas, hasn't acted in anything since that ill-received feature. She's been married to MCA president Sid Sheinberg for 60 years. Her sons, Bill Sheinberg and Jonathan Sheinberg are both film producers. Moreover, Marty McFly's mother in Back to the Future (1985) was named after Lorraine Gary.
- IMDb mini biography by: woodyanders

[Her memories of working with Roy Scheider on Jaws] He was very much an isolated human at that point. He smoked; I hate cigarettes. He also spent a tremendous amount of time with one of those tin foil reflector pans, getting his tan. There was very little in common. Years later I was in New York and we ran into each other on Madison Avenue. We talked like real people at that point instead of actors on the set and it was fun - it was very professional.

I'm not scared of sharks. The only time I was scared by sharks was when I saw my sons and my grandchildren in the ocean and I thought, sooner or later there'll be payback, but there wasn't. I truly do not have a very strong feeling about hurting the reputation of sharks. They deserve to be known for who they are and what they do.

[on her sense that Jaws would be a film with much impact] Absolutely not. No clue. It stunned me when it did, what it did and it stuns me now. Every day I get fan mail. I'm an 88-year-old woman. Come on, leave me alone! It's all very strange to me but luckily, it's fun.