• Lorraine Gary was born in 1937 in Forest Hills, New York and raised in Los Angeles
• Husband was Sidney Jay ‘Sid’ Sheinberg, a lawyer, screenwriter and entertainment executive
• Has two sons, Jonathan and William Sheinberg, who are both film producers
• Lorraine was a member of the Actors Studio and has appeared in TV shows and films such as “Jaws”
• Retired from acting after the flop of “Jaws: The Revenge” and is an active advocate for education for females, AIDS, and women empowerment
Early life, family, educational background
Retired American actress Lorraine Gottfried, was born on 16 August 1937, in Forest Hills, New York City, USA – she changed her surname to ‘Gary’ for professional reasons. She was raised in Los Angeles, California, by her father, George – an entertainment business manager – and her mother, Betty Neuschatz.
She began acting in primary school. When she was 16, she won the best actress award in a competition at the Pasadena Playhouse, which then offered her a scholarship, but she chose instead to study political science at Columbia University.
Family’s personal life
Husband – Sidney Sheinberg
Her husband, Sidney Jay ‘Sid’ Sheinberg was born on 14 January 1935, in Corpus Christi, Texas, USA to immigrant parents – his father was Polish, and his mother was Ukrainian. He was a lawyer, screenwriter, and entertainment executive. He passed in 2019.
He was elected Chief Operating Officer (COO) and President of MCA, Inc. in June 1973, when he was 38. Universal Pictures is a division of MCA, Inc., and while under his presidency, the production company released three films which, over three decades, grossed more than the previous. The streak began with 1975’s “Jaws,” was followed by 1982’s “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial” and ended with 1993’s “Jurassic Park.”
Son – Jonathan Sheinberg
Lorraine’s son, Jonathan Sheinberg, is a film producer. He jump-started his career by working in the publishing and advertising division of Columbia Pictures, then at Lorimar as the head of mini-series and films. Afterwards he became Director of Creative Affairs in Feature Film at 20th Century Fox. He was the Head of Production at Orion Pictures, before working at Warner Brothers, Lee Rich Productions, and eventually at the William Morris Agency as Senior Vice President. When he was Head of Production at Orion Pictures, he developed and oversaw multiple films hits, with Mike Medavoy. Most of their films were nominated for Academy Awards and starred famous actors, including Danny DeVito, Dennis Hopper and Sean Penn.
He founded the production company, The Bubble Factory, with his brother, Bill, and father, Sid. Jonathan is also the President of The Machine, which has encouraged him to produce independent documentaries and films. He has served on the board of one of Hollywood’s most prominent organizations, the Environmental Media Association, and is an active Academy Member. He was honored in 2015 by the Los Angeles Police Eagle and Badge Foundation. He married actress and producing partner, Susie Ursitti Sheinberg, who is best known for acting in “Teen Wolf.”
Son – William David Sheinberg
He attended Pitzer college to receive his undergraduate degree and then the University of Southern California Law School to earn his Law degree.
He practices Real Estate and Intellectual Property Law in Beverly Hills, California.
Career
Television
Lorraine is a member of the Actors Studio. Her acting career began in the late 1960s, when she appeared in several popular shows, including “Dragnet 196” as Mrs Frank in the episode entitled “The Big Shipment”, as Angela Norton in “The F.B.I.” in 1973, and in “Marcus Welby, M.D.” as Jean Wainwright in 1974.
From 1968 to 1973, she guest-starred in seven episodes of “Ironside,” which is considered her first significant acting role. She played Miss Kirk, the substitute librarian in “Tom Dayton Is Loose Among Us” – in the episode, her character pushed Tom Dayton too hard when he was already unstable. In “Search of an Artist,” she plays alongside Raymund Burr as an alcoholic who may have been part of a murder.
Film
She played Ellen Brody – her most famous role – in 1975’s “Jaws.” Ellen was the wife of Sheriff Martin Brody, played by Roy Scheider. Lorraine and Roy’s chemistry in the Steven Spielberg-directed film made Ellen a fan-favorite character. She was also mentioned and appeared in the sequels. In an interview, she stated that although “Jaws” and “Jaws 2” were huge successes, they did not help propel her career.
The following year she played the Hysterical Lady in “Car Wash,” Ester Blake in 1977’s “I Never Promised You a Rose Garden,” Billy-Jon in “Zero to Sixty” in 1978, and reprised her role as Ellen Brody in “Jaws 2” in 1978.
In 1979 she played Shirley in “Just You and Me, Kid” and Joan Douglas in “1941” – the latter film was directed by Steven Spielberg but was one of his few box office flops.
In 1987 she once again revived her role as Ellen Brody in “Jaws: The Revenge”, wherein Ellen is widowed. Fans claimed the film was the worst sequel in the series, and critics gave it poor ratings, however, Lorraine’s performance was praised by critics and fans. Sid was accused of nepotism as he was the head of Universal Studios and reportedly wrote the sequel’s initial script. After the movie flopped and following the allegations of nepotism, Lorraine decided to retire from films and quit acting altogether.
She had initially retired after filming “1941” as she wanted to focus on raising her sons. She planned only to return for her reprisal in the third “Jaws” film.
Other
Lorraine is a member of the Human Rights Watch Women’s Rights Advisory Committee. She has directed and produced a 14-part educational series for the organization, and is also an Advisory Board Member of Ms. Magazine, and Girls Learn International. She actively advocates and spreads awareness about education for females, AIDS, and women empowerment.
Lorraine and Sid received the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Humanitarian Award in 1995.
She owned a production company specializing in television programs called “New Hope Productions.”
Personal life
When she was attending Columbia University studying political science, she met Sidney Sheinberg, a struggling lawyer.
He became an entertainment industry executive, and they married on 19 August 1956 when she was 19. They have two sons together, Jonathan J., who was born on 30 December 1957, and William ‘Bill’ David – both are film producers. Sidney passed away on 7 March 2019
Hobbies, favorite things, and interesting facts
In the 1985 film “Back to the Future,” Marty McFly’s mother was named after Lorraine.
On Rotten Tomatoes, her top-rated movies are 1975’s “Car Wash” with 87% and “Jaws” with 98%. Her lowest is 1987’s “Jaws: The Revenge” with 0%.
Appearance
Lorraine has blonde hair and hazel eyes. She is 5ft 8ins (1.73m) tall and weighs 126lbs (57kg).
Net worth and salary
Her net worth is estimated at $10 million, as of mid-2020.
, Wikipedia