10 Actors You Didn't Know Played The Same Character In Different Movies - Commenter Edition

3. Richard Dreyfuss - Matt Hooper (Jaws & Piranha 3D)

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Universal & Dimension Films

One of Richard Dreyfuss' signature roles is unquestionably that of oceanographer Matt Hooper in Steven Spielberg's Jaws, who teams up with Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) and Quint (Robert Shaw) to take down the shark terrorising Amity Island.

Dreyfuss opted not to return for any of the sequels due to Spielberg's lack of involvement - a canny move, yet not one that prevented him from playing the Hooper character again.

In 2010, Dreyfuss gave the character an unofficial but totally convincing new lease of life (and death) in Piranha 3D, playing a character officially credited as "Matt Boyd," yet in every sense a decades-later iteration of Matt Hooper.

Hell, the character even listens to "Show Me the Way to Go Home" on the radio, the very song which he and his Jaws co-stars sung aboard Quint's boat in that movie. Oh, and he gets totally eaten by a swarm of hungry piranha, too.

Even Dreyfuss himself has stated that he played the part as though he were indeed the Jaws character:

"I play Matt Hooper. I play the older Matt Hooper, who escaped being eaten by the shark and is now eaten by a bunch of piranha fish."

So, there it is.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.