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Roy Scheider

Roy Scheider

Actor, also producer · Died February 10, 2008, aged 75 · Orange, New Jersey, USA

Roy Richard Scheider (/ˈʃaɪdər/; November 10, 1932 – February 10, 2008) was an American actor and amateur boxer who achieved fame with his leading and supporting roles in celebrated films from the 1970s to the mid-1980s. He was nominated for two Academy Awards, one Golden Globe, and one BAFTA. Scheider's best-known roles include Frank Ligourin in Klute (1971), Police Chief Martin Brody in Jaws (1975) and its 1978 sequel, "Cloudy" Russo in The French Connection (1971), "Buddy" in The Seven-Ups (1973), Doc Levy in Marathon Man (1976), Scanlon / Dominguez in Sorcerer (1977), Joe Gideon in All That Jazz (1979), Frank Murphy in Blue Thunder (1983), and Dr. Heywood Floyd in the 2001: A Space Odyssey sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984). Subsequent credits included Naked Lunch (1991), Romeo Is Bleeding (1993), The Myth of Fingerprints (1997), The Rainmaker (1997), and The Punisher (2004). He portrayed Captain Nathan Bridger on NBC's seaQuest DSV from 1993–1996.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 10, 1932
Died
February 10, 2008 (aged 75)
From
Orange, New Jersey, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
64 on MovieCove · 96 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 27% in 30 days

What are Roy Scheider's films like?

Across their 54 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Genres

Action16 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 26th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Drama12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 50th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 58th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Documentary4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 84th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Thriller2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 38th percentile
: browse their Thriller movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
31%
Survival
16%
Self
16%
Power
13%
Bonds
11%
Ideas
7%
Society
6%
Justice14 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival12 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRevenge6 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption6 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal6 titles, browse their movies with this themeObsession6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 52 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 8 · Serious 20 · Dark 24

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 32 · Stylized 14 · Heightened 6

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 20 · Intense 27

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 17 · Shifting 30 · Whiplash 5

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 36 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 14 · Even-paced 30 · Relentless 8

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 12 · Engaged 31 · Full focus 9

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 16 · Affecting 24 · Heavy 12

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 34 · Open-ended 14 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

41 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 19 of 41 analyzed roles.

Hero
19 of 41
Shadow
8 of 41
Mentor
6 of 41
Herald
3 of 41
Shapeshifter
2 of 41
Ally
2 of 41
Threshold guardian
1 of 41
Show the 41 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
44
Dread
16
Thrilling
17
Melancholic
14
Contemplative
11
Other
34

How their films linger

Unsettling15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun13 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 11 with a twist

  • Happy15
  • Bittersweet22
  • Tragic4
  • Ambiguous13

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Roy Scheider's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 41 of their 64 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (24).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Roy Scheider's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

96 credits, 64 with a MovieCove page; 19 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • John G. Avildsen: King of the Underdogs(2017)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Iron Cross (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Joseph

  • The Shark Is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of 'Jaws'(2007)

    Producer · as Narrator / Self

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Dark Honeymoon(2008)

    as Sam

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Chicago 10(2007)

    as Judge Julius Hoffman (voice)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Poet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Rabbi

  • If I Didn't Care (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    as Linus

  • Dracula III: Legacy(2005)

    as Cardinal Siqueros

    Midcredits score: 9th percentile of all films

  • The Punisher(2004)

    as Frank Castle, Sr.

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Love Thy Neighbor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Fred

  • Citizen Verdict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Bull Tyler

  • Dracula II: Ascension(2003)

    as Cardinal Siqueros

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Red Serpent(2003)

    as Hassan

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • King of Texas(2002)

    as Henry Westover

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Regulus: The First Nuclear Missile Submarines(2002)

    as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Angels Don't Sleep Here(2002)

    as Mayor Harry S. Porter

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Texas '46 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Colonel Gartner

  • Time Lapse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Agent La Nova

  • Warship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 4 episodes · Presenter · as Narrator

  • Law & Order: Criminal Intent(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Mark Ford Brady

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Diamond Hunters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · as Jacobus Van der Byl

  • Daybreak (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Stan Marshall

  • Hitler's Lost Sub (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Narrator

  • The Doorway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    as Professor Lamont

  • Chain of Command(2000)

    as President Jack Cahill

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Secrets of the Dead(2000)

    Show 5 episodes · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Falling Through(2000)

    as Earl

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • RKO 281(1999)

    as George Schaefer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Third Watch(1999)

    Show 6 episodes · as Fyodor Chevchenko

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • The Seventh Scroll (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 2 episodes · as Grant Schiller

  • Family Guy(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Roy Scheider · as Roy Scheider / Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • Silver Wolf(1999)

    as John Rockwell

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Jaws 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Martin Brody (archive footage)

  • The White Raven(1998)

    as Tom Heath

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Better Living (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Larry

  • Money Play$(1998)

    as Johnny Tobin

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Evasive Action(1998)

    as Enzo Marcelli

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • World's Deadliest Sea Creatures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Narrator

  • The Rainmaker(1997)

    as Wilfred Keeley

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • The Myth of Fingerprints(1997)

    as Hal

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Peacekeeper(1997)

    as President Robert Baker

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Rage(1997)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Executive Target(1997)

    as President Carlson

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Definite Maybe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Eddie Jacobson

  • Plato's Run(1997)

    as Senarkian

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • E! True Hollywood Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Wild Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Peter Stride

  • Romeo Is Bleeding(1993)

    as Don Falcone

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • SeaQuest 2032(1993)

    Show 48 episodes · as Captain Nathan Bridger

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • SeaQuest DSV(1993)

    as Captain Nathan Bridger

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • When It Was a Game 2(1992)

    as Passage Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Naked Lunch(1991)

    as Dr. Benway

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • When It Was a Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    as (voice)

  • The Russia House(1990)

    as Russell

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Somebody Has to Shoot the Picture(1990)

    as Paul Marish

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Bob Fosse: Steam Heat (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Joe Gideon (archive footage)

  • The Fourth War(1990)

    as Col. Jack Knowles

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Night Game(1989)

    as Seaver

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Listen to Me(1989)

    as Charlie Nichols

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Cohen and Tate(1988)

    as Cohen

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • American Experience(1988)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Jaws: The Revenge(1987)

    as Martin Brody (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • 52 Pick-Up(1986)

    as Harry Mitchell

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Men's Club(1986)

    as Cavanaugh

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Follies: In Concert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Narrator

  • 2010: The Year We Make Contact(1984)

    as Dr. Heywood Floyd

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Tiger Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Billy Young

  • Jacobo Timerman: Prisoner Without a Name, Cell Without a Number(1983)

    as Jacobo Timerman

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Blue Thunder(1983)

    as Murphy

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Behind-the-Scenes: Blue Thunder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Actor

  • Still of the Night(1982)

    as Doctor Sam Rice

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • All That Jazz(1979)

    as Joe Gideon

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Last Embrace(1979)

    as Harry Hannan

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Jaws 2(1978)

    as Police Chief Martin Brody

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Sorcerer(1977)

    as Scanlon / 'Dominguez'

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Marathon Man(1976)

    as Henry 'Doc' Levy

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York(1975)

    as Sam Stoneman

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Jaws(1975)

    as Brody

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Nova(1974)

    Show 3 episodes · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Seven-Ups(1973)

    as Buddy - Seven-Up

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Outside Man(1972)

    as Lenny

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The French Conspiracy(1972)

    as Michael Howard

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Assignment: Munich(1972)

    as Jack Webster

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • To Be Young, Gifted and Black (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Actor

  • The French Connection(1971)

    as Buddy Russo

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Cannon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Klute(1971)

    as Frank Ligourin

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Puzzle of a Downfall Child(1970)

    as Mark

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Loving(1970)

    as Skip

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Stiletto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    as Bennett

  • Paper Lion (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    as Man (uncredited)

  • The Curse of the Living Corpse(1964)

    as Philip Sinclair

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Smiles (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Actor

  • A Wind from the South (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Dancer (uncredited)

  • The Secret Storm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 319 episodes · Actor

  • Hallmark Hall of Fame (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Show 1 episode · as Francesco Barberini

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 95 titles from 1951 to 2009; peak year 1978.

Biggest box office

Jaws (1975)

$491M worldwide

Highest rated

Jaws (1975)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

SeaQuest 2032 (1993)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19512009

Peak 1978 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 18 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting95 of 95: 94 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score55thOther crew1 of 95: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

By decade

1950s3 · acting1960s4 · acting1970s18 · acting1980s14 · acting1990s30 · acting2000s26 · 26 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 42% of 33 roles
64748494

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Roy Scheider's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 52nd percentile, the median of all 57; across their 52 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Approval · how many liked their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Reach · how many have seen their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 52

Midcredits score across 64 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up21
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th11
  • Below 25th17

Shape of the crowd

24 of their 64 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved7
  • Universally Panned2
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser24
  • Broadly Agreed6
  • Mixed24

Most divisive · actor

Regulus: The First Nuclear Missile Submarines (2002)

78th percentile spread · 20% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Jaws (1975)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 46 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Roy Scheider's work okay for kids?

Across up to 18 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore16 titles22–84 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity18 titles13–63 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity15 titles46–73 · median 60 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs13 titles30–83 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense12 titles42–86 · median 67 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Roy Scheider work with?

People who share at least 2 of Roy Scheider's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; William Friedkin shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles