Jaws actor Richard Dreyfuss has found himself in hot water after comments he made during a recent movie screening sparked controversy.
Dreyfuss, who plays Hooper in Steven Spielberg's shark thriller, attended a screening of the film of the same name on Saturday at the Cabot Theatre in Beverly, Massachusetts, which also featured a question-and-answer session with the Oscar-winning actor.
Dreyfuss' appearance was controversial after he made a series of comments that many in attendance found offensive, with some calling his comments “homophobic” and “misogynistic”.
Cabot Executive Director J. Casey Soward condemned Dreyfuss' comments in a statement obtained by USA Today on Monday. Soward said the actor's opinions “do not reflect the values of inclusivity and respect that we uphold as an organization.”
“We regret that what was meant to be a forum for conversation celebrating an iconic film became a platform for political commentary,” Soward continued. “We take full responsibility for our failure to anticipate the direction the conversation was headed and for the offense caused to many in our audience.”
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USA TODAY has reached out to Dreyfuss' representatives for comment.
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Dreyfuss began his Q&A session at The Cabot in a light-hearted, mercurial manner. He appeared onstage in a floral blue dress, over which he layered a long-sleeved button-down shirt and trousers, according to footage of the event shared online. As Taylor Swift's “Love Story” played, the actor playfully swayed his hips and brandished his cane like a baseball bat.
But things reportedly soured as Dreyfuss lashed out at a range of subjects, including actress and singer Barbra Streisand, the #MeToo movement and transgender youth. Footage of Dreyfuss' full presentation has not yet been released.
Several attendees later took to social media to criticize Dreyfus' comments.
“This is horrible. Why didn't Cabot vet his performance more strictly,” Sherri Ziegler wrote on Facebook. “Apparently (I found out too late) he is notorious for spewing this kind of racist, homophobic, misogynistic drivel…. We did not get what we paid for (we were expecting a light, fun evening to hear stories and anecdotes from RD's time making Jaws on the Vineyard). This is offensive and I would like a refund.”
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“We walked out of his interview tonight, along with hundreds of others, because of his racist, homophobic and misogynistic rants,” Lisa Howe said, appearing to refer to Dreyfuss.
Sowards said Cabot “deeply regrets the distress” caused by Dreyfus' comments.
“We are actively engaged in dialogue with our patrons about their experiences and are committed to learning from this event how to better execute on our mission of entertaining, educating and inspiring our community,” Soward said.
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Dreyfuss has a history of being outspoken about his socio-cultural views, including his views on diverse media representations.
Speaking to reporters about the Oscars' representatives and standards for inclusion during an interview on “Firing Line with Margaret Hoover” in May 2023, Dreyfuss said the requirements were “nauseating.”
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“This is art. It's a form of commerce, and it's a way to make money, but it's art,” Dreyfuss said at the time. “No one should be telling me, as an artist, that I have to bow to the latest notion of morality.”
He added: “What are we risking? Are we really risking hurting people's sentiments? You can't legislate that. You just have to accept life as life is. I'm sorry, but I don't think there is any minority or majority in this country that needs that kind of consideration.”
