'Jaws' actress Lee Fierro has died
The 91-year-old star - who was best known for playing Mrs. Kintner in the 1975 horror classic - passed away due to complications from coronavirus at an assisted living facility in Aurora, Ohio
9 April 2020
Kevin Ryan, artistic director and board president for Island Theatre Workshop - where Lee had worked for more than 40 years as director and mentor - confirmed the sad news of her passing.
He told 'Entertainment Tonight': "We will miss her terribly. She spent 40 years here on the vineyard.
"I've been working with her for 30 years here [on Marthas's Vineyard] and three years since she moved [to Ohio]."
During her time with the theatre group, Lee taught over 1,000 students and in her role as artistic director, oversaw more than 100 live productions and was a "very busy community member" of the local area.
Kevin added: "She was a good friend, mentor and a very busy community member when she was in Martha's Vineyard."
Lee - who is survived by her five children, seven grand-children and seven great-grandchildren - appeared in few movies in her life but was always proud of her work as Mrs. Kintner, a role she reprised in 'Jaws: The Revenge' in 1987.
The character memorably walked up to police chief Brody (Roy Scheider) and slapped him across the face for failing to disclose a previous shark attack before a second killed her son Alex (Jeffrey Voorhees) and the actress knew it was the moment she'd be remembered for.
Her friend Nicole Galland said: "She was tickled by it. She found it really entertaining. She would say, 'If you told me that's what I'd be known for, I wouldn't believe it.' "
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