Child Star from ‘Jaws’ Reveals How Movie Left Him Traumatized for Years

Jay Mello was just 6 years old when he played Sean Brody, the youngest son of police chief Martin Brody, in Steven Spielberg’s legendary 1975 thriller Jaws. Though his time on set was short, the experience made a big — and terrifying — impression.

Now in a rare interview, Mello admits the film’s iconic animatronic sharks spooked him so badly, he refused to go near the ocean for years. “I didn’t go back into the water for like two years after the movie was made,” he said.

Despite being so young, Mello says he vividly remembers his time filming on Martha’s Vineyard. “I do remember the first time I saw [the shark],” he recalled. “It was just the head part of the shark. I kind of questioned Shari Rhodes, who was the casting director. I said, ‘Where’s the rest of the shark?’”

Those terrifying mechanical sharks — nicknamed “Bruce” on set — were the creation of production designer Joe Alves, who said he based the 25-foot model on a 12-foot Great White and worked with marine biologists to get the look just right. There were three versions of the shark used during filming, each designed to move in different ways depending on the shot.

While Alves remembers them as carefully crafted props, Mello had a very different reaction. He says his parents even ducked his head beneath the theater seats during the scariest moments when they finally saw the movie together. “It was strange to see myself on screen,” he said. “I didn’t get to see the whole thing because my mom and dad kept ducking my head under the seats.”

One of the scenes that still sticks with him today is when the decapitated head of a local fisherman pops out of a sunken boat. “That kind of haunts me,” he admitted with a laugh.

Ironically, Mello wasn’t even supposed to audition for Jaws. He tagged along to an open casting call meant for his older brothers, Tom and John. But it was Jay who caught Steven Spielberg’s eye.

“My older brothers were actually the ones auditioning,” he explained. “I had a habit of copying people. So when Spielberg was giving direction, I was mimicking him. When the interview was over, he said, ‘You boys can go, we’re done. But the youngest can stay.’”

After filming, Mello didn’t continue in Hollywood. While his character lived on through several sequels — ultimately being killed in Jaws: The Revenge — Mello chose a quiet life away from the spotlight. He now spends his time making maple syrup in Massachusetts.

But for Jaws fans, he’ll always be the wide-eyed little boy of Amity Island who reminded us all that no one was safe once the fin surfaced.