‘Jaws’ actress Lee Fierro dead at 91 from coronavirus complications: reports

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Lee Fierro, the actress recognized from portraying Jeffrey Voorhees' mother Mrs. Kinter in 1975’s “Jaws,” as well as its 1987 sequel, has died. She was 91.

The cause was complications of the coronavirus. The death was confirmed by friends to the Martha’s Vineyard Times on Sunday.

According to the outlet, Fierro was living at an assisted living facility. She previously championed the Island Theatre Workshop during her 40-plus years on Martha’s Vineyard. Kevin Ryan, artistic director and board president, noted that Fierro taught and mentored more than 1,000 children in the theater.

“The one word I would think of when I think of Lee is dedication,” Ryan explained. “I’ve watched her as a performer, director and businesswoman and then we became friends. She was my teacher and mentor. I would still call Lee for artistic discussion and commentary… She was fiercely dedicated to the mission of teaching. She, no matter what it was, would stay at it and get the job done.”

While Fierro didn’t have many acting credits outside of the “Jaws” franchise, she spent more than 25 years as artistic director of the Island Theatre Workshop and continued to assist there well into her 80s, The Hollywood Reporter said.

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Actress Lee Fierro played Mrs. Kintner in the 'Jaws' movie franchise.

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In “Jaws,” Fierro’s character famously walks up to Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) and slaps him.

“I just found out that a girl got killed here last week and you knew, you knew there was a shark out there,” she said sobbing in the Steven Spielberg film. “You knew it was dangerous, but you let people go swimming anyway. You knew all those things and still, my boy is dead now, and there’s nothing you can do about it. My boy is dead. I wanted you to know that.”

“Jaws,” which was filmed in various locations throughout Martha’s Vineyard, explores how a killer shark unleashes chaos in a small beach community. It also starred Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Lorraine Gary, among others.

The Hollywood Reporter noted Fierro is survived by her five children. Multiple reports said that Fierro’s family will hold a small ceremony in her honor because of social distancing restrictions.

Worldwide, more than 1.2 million people have been confirmed infected and over 70,000 have died during the current coronavirus pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University. The true numbers are certainly much higher, because of limited testing, different ways nations count the dead and deliberate under-reporting by some governments.

The coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19, is spread by droplets from coughs or sneezes. For most people, the virus causes mild to moderate symptoms such as fever and cough. But for some, especially older adults and the infirm, it can cause pneumonia. Over 263,000 people have recovered worldwide.

There is no known treatment, but some drugs have shown promise and patients are rushing to join studies.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.