Robert Shaw

An Actor's Life on the Set of JAWS and Beyond

By: Christopher Shaw Myers

Narrated by: Christopher Shaw Myers, Daniel Thomas May

"Go for the Jaws, stay for the Shaws."—Nat Segaloff, author of The Exorcist Legacy

Robert Shaw unforgettably commanded attention as the weathered seaman Captain Quint in the blockbuster sensation, Jaws. But what came before and after that landmark film is as dramatic as the hunt for the great white shark itself.

Capturing the many facets of the vibrant, generous, and sometimes polarizing man is his nephew, Christopher, who explores the forces that shaped a dynamic personality—including Robert's indomitable mother, his deeply troubled father, and his activist sister, Joanna, with whom Robert shared an unbreakable bond. Out of the traumatic events of their childhood in the Orkney Islands and Cornwall, Mrs. Shaw pushed her children to pursue their dreams. For Robert, that dream was acting and writing.

Despite a storied career on the British and American stage—as both performer and playwright—and a string of hit films including From Russia with Love, A Man for All Seasons, The Sting, and The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, international celebrity eluded Robert . . . until he was summoned to star in "a little horror film" called Jaws.

©2025 Christopher Lawrence Myers (P)2025 Highbridge Audio

Getting to know Shaw in a whole new light

A wonderful biography of truly one of the best actors to have graced our screens and stages. I have been enthralled by Shaw‘s performances ever since I was young so to be able to read and almost feel to know him after this book was truly a treat. I highly recommend this whether you’re a fan of jaws or not.

So slow

I thought it would have more about his actual experience making Jaws, however just a very long drawn out family tale. So boring.