Actor Jaws became the sheriff of the same famous town Spielberg Shark film was filmed

Nine-year-old Jonathan Searle in a scene from Steven Spielberg’s classic Jaws in 1975, where two boys prank frightened beachgoers by swimming with fake shark fins

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Jaws: Official 1975 trailer for Steven Spielberg’s film

An actor featured in the hit movie Jaws became the sheriff of the town where the film was filmed.

Jonathan Searle was just nine years old when he starred in a scene from the 1975 film where two boys play a prank that scares off beachgoers by swimming with a fake shark fin on the sheriff’s back.

The other child is played by his brother in Steven Spielberg’s classic, which was filmed in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyards – an island off the coast of Massachusetts.

Oak Bluffs doubles as Amity in the film where a menacing great white shark is hunted by the sheriff played by Roy Scheider, a marine scientist (Richard Dreyfuss), and Robert’s professional shark hunter Quint. Shaw plays the role.

Jonathan, now 56, is unlikely to have to deal with terrorist sharks but will stay busy after being elected sheriff of the Oak Bluffs.

The former child actor, who was born and raised on the island, was one of two natives short of the final shortlist of candidates for the role before he was voted down by 5,000 Oak Bluffs residents with the final result. result 3-1 on Monday.

He will begin his role at the end of the month following the retirement of current director Erik Blake.

Speaking after announcing his new role, Jonathan told the Vineyard Gazette: “I’m obviously very excited and I’m very humbled and very honored to be offered the position.

“It’s something that I’ve worked on throughout my career.”

Jonathan joined the police 11 years after he appeared in Jaws and became a sergeant in Edgartown – another town used in the film. He will be leaving that role to become the sheriff of the Oak Bluffs.

Jaws was the highest-grossing film of 1975 and has earned $471,411,300 (£377.5 million) since its release, according to IMDb.

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