Actor / Director Profile

Lorraine Gary was born on August 16th, 1937 in New York. Lorraine was raised in Los Angeles. At age 16, she won a best actress award in a competition at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse. She was offered a scholarship to enroll at the Pasadena Playhouse, but declined said offer and attended Columbia University as a political science major, instead. Lorraine began her acting career in the late 60s doing guest appearances on several popular TV shows. Gary achieved her greatest and most enduring fame with her excellent portrayal of Sheriff Roy Scheider's caring and concerned wife in the first two "Jaws" pictures. Lorraine further demonstrated her considerable versatility with funny performances in the amusing comedies Car Wash (1976), Zero to Sixty (1978) and 1941 (1979). Among the television programs she's done guest spots on are "The Rookies" (1972), "Marcus Welby, M.D." (1969), "Kojak" (1973), "Ironside" (1967), "The F.B.I." (1965), "The Virginian" (1962), "McCloud" (1970) and "Dragnet 1967" (1967). She came out of voluntary retirement to assume a rare substantial starring role in the regrettably dreadful Jaws: The Revenge (1987) but, alas, hasn't acted in anything since that ill-received feature. She's been married to MCA president Sid Sheinberg for 50 years. Her sons, Bill Sheinberg and Jonathan Sheinberg are both film producers. Moreover, Marty McFly's mother in Back to the Future (1985) was named after Lorraine Gary.