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Lorraine Gary

Lorraine Gary

Actor · Born August 16, 1937 (89) · New York City, New York, USA

Lorraine Gary (born Lorraine Gottfried; August 16, 1937) is an American actress. She is best famous for portraying Ellen Brody in the films Jaws, Jaws 2, and Jaws: The Revenge, as well as in the films 1941 and Car Wash.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 16, 1937 (89)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 26 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 39% in 30 days

What are Lorraine Gary's films like?

Across their 10 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Power.

Genres

Adventure3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 33rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 29th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 40th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
28%
Power
20%
Bonds
17%
Morality
14%
Ideas
8%
Self
7%
Society
6%
Survival3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 10 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 1 · Dark 6

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 8 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 2 · Charged 6 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 1 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 2

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 7 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 1 · Even-paced 8 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 3 · Affecting 3 · Heavy 4

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

2 analyzed roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
6
Dread
3
Contemplative
4
Absurd
3
Melancholic
2
Other
6

How their films linger

Fun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteInfuriating2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy3
  • Bittersweet7

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Lorraine Gary's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Lorraine Gary's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

26 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 9 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Jaws: The Revenge(1987)

    as Ellen Brody

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • 1941(1979)

    as Joan Douglas

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Just You and Me, Kid(1979)

    as Shirl

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Crash(1978)

    as Emily Mulwray

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Jaws 2(1978)

    as Ellen Brody

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Zero to Sixty(1978)

    as Billy-Jon

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • I Never Promised You a Rose Garden(1977)

    as Ester Blake

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Car Wash(1976)

    as Hysterical Lady

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Lanigan's Rabbi (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Myra Galen

  • Man on the Outside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    as Nora Griffin

  • Jaws(1975)

    as Ellen Brody

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Pray for the Wildcats(1974)

    as Lila Summerfield

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Kojak(1973)

    Show 1 episode · as Ruth Gardner

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows

  • A Prowler in the Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Liz Elliott

  • Partners in Crime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    as Margery Jordan

  • The Marcus-Nelson Murders(1973)

    as Ruthie

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • McMillan & Wife(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Monica Fontaine

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    as Victoria Ulysses

  • Night Gallery(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Barbara Morgan

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • McCloud(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows

  • The Name of the Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Carla Frazier

  • Ironside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 5 episodes · as Nurse Green

  • Dragnet 1967(1967)

    Show 1 episode · as Mrs. Frank

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • The F.B.I. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · as Angela Norton

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Show 1 episode · as Martha Young

Career shape

Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 26 titles from 1962 to 1987; peak year 1978.

Biggest box office

Jaws (1975)

$491M worldwide

Highest rated

Jaws (1975)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

19621987

Peak 1978 · steadily prominent in film for years. Top draw in 2 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting26 of 26: 26 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score57th

By decade

1960s5 · acting1970s20 · acting1980s1 · acting

Billing

usually 4th · top billed in 20% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Lorraine Gary's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 11; across their 10 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 45th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Approval · how many liked their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Reach · how many have seen their films

59thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 10

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th3
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 16 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

Pray for the Wildcats (1974)

56th percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Jaws (1975)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 10 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 41. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Lorraine Gary's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 69 · intenseMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity4 titlesmedian 32 · mildMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 46 · moderateMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 56 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Lorraine Gary work with?

People who share at least 2 of Lorraine Gary's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Peter Benchley shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers

Producers