Richard Dreyfuss, the man who acted as the marine expert in the legendary film Jaws, has recently had to cancel a public appearance at SharkCon due to his ill health.
Usually, he would show up to these kinds of events for signings and talks. However, in a recent post, he has announced that his highly anticipated appearance at SharkCon will have to be cancelled. The video on their Instagram page shows the 77-year-old Jaws star looking rather peaky in bed.
“I am very, very sorry to tell you that I’ve been diagnosed with, viral, er…What is it?” he says, asking his off-screen wife for his diagnosis.”Bronchitis,” she confirms. Despite his jokey demeanor and lighthearted attitude, this can be a very serious problem for the elderly.
It is a congestion of the airways, making breathing much more difficult, and the lungs susceptible to further damage. The respiratory illness causes shortness of breath, fatigue, and flu-like symptoms. It is also quite infectious, giving the Jaws star more reason to stay away.
An Understandable Excuse for Jaws Star
Dreyfuss does look under the weather, but his apology video is more than adequate. “I’ve been told by my doctors I cannot fly, and I would have to fly five hours to get there. I’m terribly sorry because I had planned to be there and I had been looking forward to it, but I am unable to do so. I don’t want to get anyone else sick,” Dreyfuss explained, “and I don’t want to get sicker myself.”
Despite having to sit this appearance out, the Jaws star says that as soon as he is back on his feet, he will be doing the rounds again. He knows how much his fans love him, and by the sounds of it, he loves them too.
He still wishes everyone at SharkCon in Tampa, Florida, a good time. There will be plenty for the shark fanatics to see without their beloved Jaws hero. He reassured them all that anyone who had previously paid for a ticket would get a full refund.
There is still some bite left in the old Jaws icon, yet.