Jeannot Szwarc, the French filmmaker known for directing “Jaws 2,” “Somewhere in Time” and “Supergirl,” died Wednesday. He was 85.
Jane Seymour, who played Elise McKenna in Szwarc’s 1980 film, “Somewhere in Time,” confirmed the news.
“Today, we say goodbye to a true visionary. 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,” Seymour wrote in a Facebook post.
Szwarc was born November 21, 1939, in Paris and grew up in Argentina. He graduated from Harvard University with a master’s degree in political science. Szwarc worked in both film and televison, including directing shows like “Rockford Files,” “Columbo,” “The New Perry Mason” and “Kojak” in the 1970s.
He directed the 1973 feature film, “Extreme Close-Up,” 1984’s “Supergirl” and the 1975 film “Bug.” Szwarc notably took over the iconic “Jaws” franchise with “Jaws 2.” Athough the film did not receive a stellar critical response, it earned over $200 million globally.
“RIP my dear JEANNOT SZWARC,” Jeffrey Kramer, “Jaws” and “Jaws 2” actor, wrote on Instagram. “One of the finest most talented souls I was privileged to know!”
Szwarc’s “Somewhere in Time,” about a playwright’s infatuation with an older actress and subsequent time travel, became a cult classic in the decades following its release. Seymour plays the actress opposite Christopher Reeve as the playwright character.
“What I loved about ‘Somewhere in Time’ was that there was very little sex, but there was a lot of love. It was really what the French call l’amour fou, a crazy love. You know, they don’t make pictures like that anymore,” Szwarc told LAist.
Szwarc continued to work in television in later years, directing episodes of “Ally McBeal,” “Smallville,” and “Supernatural” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”