Marc Gilpin, known for starring in Jaws 2 as a child actor, has died aged 56.
Gilpin died on Saturday (July 29) in Dallas after a battle with glioblastoma, as confirmed by his sister and Frasier actor Peri Gilpin to The Hollywood Reporter.
In the 1978 sequel to Jaws, Gilpin played Sean Brody, the youngest son of Chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider). In Steven Spielberg’s original Jaws, Sean was played by Jay Mello.
Gilpin’s other credits include 1981 sci-fi comedy film Earthbound and The Legend Of The Lone Ranger, which also starred Christopher Lloyd. In 1985, he starred alongside Molly Ringwald and Ellen Burstyn in the ABC TV film, Surviving.
After appearances in episodes of NBC’s Silver Spoons and 1989 film She’s Out Of Control, he later dropped his acting career and became a self-taught software engineer.
In 2022, Gilpin’s friends set up a GoFundMe page to help offset “significant financial stress”, after he was struggling to find work due to his cancer treatment.
As noted on the page, doctors found two tumours in his brain, one of which they were not able to surgically remove due to its location. “While we all pray for a positive outcome, we know the journey will be the most difficult one the family has endured,” the page reads.
Along with his sister Peri, Gilpin is survived by his wife Kaki and sons, Spencer and Presley.