ROY SCHEIDER
Nov. 10, 1932-Feb. 10, 2008
By Gene Hackman
I first met Roy in rehearsals for this cop movie we were doing in NY — rehearsals consisting of simply going out on patrol each evening with Eddie Egan and Sonny Grasso, the two real life cops from the actual French Connection case. Watching as police arrested a variety of law-breakers, Roy kept saying, ''Boy, this is great,'' and ''Wow, I can use that little piece of business.'' I, on the other hand, was more or less mystified.
Roy asked Egan if we could accompany him on a real drug bust — Roy being the brave soul. The apartment building was a fifth floor walk-up, two cops leading the way. Roy eagerly pressed forward, while I brought up the reluctant rear. The policemen quietly spread out around the suspected drug dealer's door and with a signaled nod, rapped loudly. We were then greeted by the strident barking and snarl of what sounded like a huge German Shepherd. The grinning cops announced that they didn’t ''do'' dogs and quickly maneuvered an about face, along with a glad-to-be-done Gene Hackman. Roy, on the other hand, stood there calling out to us as we rattled down the stairs, hailing us as pansies and something less than manly creatures. I can still hear that laugh. Of course that was who he was, the consummate tough minded individual; resolute, full of fun and determined to do a brilliant job as an actor. He did just that in the French Connection and in diverse roles as the choreographer in All That Jazz, The Sorcerer, and the sheriff in Jaws. Bless him for being such a complete human being. Funny, professional, passionate and very talented.
Scheider, 75, died of complications from multiple myeloma in Little Rock, Ark.
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