Marc Gilpin Dies: Child Actor in ‘Jaws 2’ & Brother of ‘Frasier’ Star Peri Gilpin Was 56
Marc Gilpin, who played the young son of Roy Scheider‘s Martin Brody in Jaws 2, has died. He was 56.
The passing was confirmed by the actor’s older sister, Frasier star Peri Gilpin, who revealed her brother died on Saturday, July 29, in Dallas, Texas, after a long battle with glioblastoma, a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumor.
Born on September 26, 1966, in Austin, Texas, Marc got an early start in show business after landing the role of Sean Brody in the 1978 sequel to Steven Spielberg‘s blockbuster Jaws (1975). Prior to Jaws 2, Marc had a brief appearance on the NBC children’s show Thunder and had the title role in the family film Where’s Willie?
Following his role in Jaws 2, the child star went on to star in several television series, including CHiPs, where he played Timmy Getraer, the eldest son of Joseph and Betty Getrae. He also played Bobby on the ABC drama Fantasy Island (where he starred alongside his younger sister April) and Bobby Stacy on the comedy-drama series Flying High.
His other credits include the sitcom Silver Spoons, the war drama China Beach, and the made-for-TV movies License to Kill, Surviving: A Family in Crisis, and Right To Kill.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gilpin’s performance in Surviving caught the attention of manager Jerry Silverhardt, who offered to sign the young actor. Gilpin agreed, but only if Silverhardt also signed his sister Peri.
Peri, of course, went on to find huge success, playing Roz Doyle on the hit NBC sitcom Frasier, starring in 260 episodes. She is set to reprise her role in the upcoming Paramount+ reboot alongside her former co-stars Kelsey Grammer, Jane Leeves, and Bebe Neuwirth.
Marc’s last on-screen role came in the 1989 movie She’s Out of Control. After that, he became a self-taught software engineer and worked for a number of start-up firms.
His younger sister April died in July 2017 at 48 years old, while another sister, Patti, passed in 2020 at age 57.
Marc is survived by his sister Peri, his wife of 24 years, Kaki, and sons Spencer and Presley.
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