20 Things You Somehow Missed In Jaws
7. The Tension Between Quint And Hooper Was Real
Throughout the movie, characters Quint and Hooper often rub against each other the wrong way. There is an element of competitivenss between the roles as well as disagreements of ideas on how to kill the shark.
There wasn’t much acting required for this because actors Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss actually detested each other. For no apparent reason, Shaw liked to make venomous comments about Dreyfuss, particularly regarding his weight, and would often be unnecessarily competitive with him - at one point, he challenged him to do push ups as a way of taunting him for being out of shape. Richard also grew tired of Robert’s drinking habits behind the scenes and threw his bottle out on to sea, a moment which caused greater friction between them.
In the end, all the hidden drama between the two provided for some much needed tension which their characters needed, especially in the film's more intense moments.