17 Facts About Peter Benchley

Peter Bradford Benchley was an American author, screenwriter, and ocean activist.

Peter Benchley is known for his bestselling novel Jaws and co-wrote its film adaptation with Carl Gottlieb.

Later in life, Benchley expressed some regret for his tone in writing about sharks, which he felt indulged already present fear and false belief about sharks, and he became an advocate for marine conservation.

Contrary to widespread rumor, Peter Benchley did not believe that his writings contributed to shark depopulation, nor is there evidence that Jaws or any of his works did so.

Peter Benchley's younger brother, Nat Benchley, is a writer and actor.

Peter Benchley was an alumnus of the Allen-Stevenson School, Phillips Exeter Academy and Harvard University.

Peter Benchley wanted to be near New York, and the family eventually got a house at Pennington, New Jersey in 1970.

Peter Benchley worked by winter in his Pennington office, and in the summer in a converted chicken coop in the Wessons' farm in Stonington.

Peter Benchley co-wrote the screenplay with Carl Gottlieb for the Spielberg film released in 1975.

Peter Benchley made a cameo appearance as a news reporter on the beach.

Peter Benchley visited the wreck of the Constellation which he described as having sunk on top of two other wrecks the Montana and the Lartington.

Peter Benchley co-wrote the screenplay for the 1977 film release, along with Tracy Keenan Wynn and an uncredited Tom Mankiewicz.

Sea of Cortez signposted Peter Benchley's growing interest in ecological issues and anticipated his future role as an impassioned advocate of the importance of protecting the marine environment.

Peter Benchley returned to nautical themes in 1991's Beast written about a giant squid threatening Bermuda.

Also in 1994, Peter Benchley became the first person to host Discovery Channel's Shark Week.

In 1999, the television show Peter Benchley's Amazon was created, about a group of plane crash survivors in the middle of a vast jungle.

Peter Benchley was one of the founding board members of the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.