Richard Dreyfuss Pulls Out of Biggest 'Jaws' Reunion Ever
Richard Dreyfuss will not be at the biggest Jaws cast reunion in the film's 51-year history — and he isn't saying why.
The Oscar-winning actor, 78, announced on Instagram Friday that he is withdrawing from The Hollywood Show, a fan convention scheduled for May 29 and 30 at the Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, California, where he was set to reunite with more than a dozen of his Jaws castmates. He offered no specific reason for the cancellation.
"It truly breaks my heart that I won't be able to attend the reunion at The Hollywood Show May 29th & 30th," Dreyfuss wrote. "Please know this was never the outcome I hoped for. Due to circumstances completely beyond my control, it has become impossible for me to be there in person. My heart is absolutely with my fellow cast members who will be attending."
The Reunion He's Missing
The Hollywood Show had billed this event as the largest gathering of Jaws cast members ever assembled.
In addition to Dreyfuss, the reunion was set to feature Carl Gottlieb, Ted Grossman, Carla Hogendyk, Robert Tanenbaum, Joe Alves, Jeffrey Voorhees, Greg Dole, Jeffery Kramer, Dennis Prince, and Jonathan and Steven Searle. The event was being promoted by ReMind magazine as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for fans of the 1975 Spielberg blockbuster.
Jaws — which starred Dreyfuss as marine biologist Matt Hooper alongside Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw — is widely considered the film that invented the modern summer blockbuster. It turned 51 this year and remains one of the most culturally durable films in Hollywood history.
Not the First Time
Dreyfuss's cancellation carries extra sting for fans because it is not the first time he has backed out of a Jaws-related event in the past year.
In July 2025, he canceled his appearance at SharkCon in Tampa, Florida — an event tied to the film's 50th anniversary — after being diagnosed with viral bronchitis. His doctors told him he was not cleared to fly for the five-hour trip. He apologized to fans at the time and expressed regret over missing the milestone celebration.
This Hollywood Show cancellation comes less than a year after that, making it two consecutive Jaws events he has been unable to attend. The actor has not addressed whether health concerns are again a factor.
The Context Around Dreyfuss
Dreyfuss has had a turbulent few years in the public eye that go beyond health issues. In 2023 he was removed from a Jaws screening event in Martha's Vineyard after making a series of remarks that attendees described as racist, sexist, and homophobic. He later defended himself in interviews, dismissing the criticism as an overreaction to his sense of humor.
He remains one of Hollywood's most celebrated actors — his 1977 Oscar win for The Goodbye Girl made him, at the time, the youngest Best Actor winner in Academy history. But his public appearances in recent years have been marked by controversy and, now, consecutive cancellations of events his fans had long looked forward to.
The Hollywood Show will proceed with the rest of the Jaws cast as scheduled on May 29 and 30 in Burbank.
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