Jaws: 9 Easters Eggs You Never Noticed
3. Ben Gardener's Actor Was The Inspiration For Quint
Craig Kingsbury played doomed fisherman Ben Gardener in Jaws, and he also played a vital role in shaping the character of Quint. Kingsbury was a fisherman on Martha's Vineyard where Jaws was shot, and he was initially hired by the production to coach Robert Shaw in his role.
They spent two weeks together where Kingsbury taught the actor the local lingo and fishing methods. He also told some tall tales that Shaw believed and repeated, like that most of the islanders on Martha’s Vineyard were inbred. Shaw ended up basing Quint's mannerisms on the salty Kingsbury himself.
Kingsbury was rewarded for his efforts with the role of Ben, who can be recognised as the first character Hooper meets when he lands on Amity. And hearing him talk in his few scenes it's easy to see where Shaw's Quint-ness came from.
Most people will recognise the character from the film's biggest jump scare, however, where Hooper examines Gardener’s destroyed boat only for his head to pop through a hole. How the head got back on the boat after the shark bit it off is still an unsolved mystery.