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Peter Benchley
American author (1940–2006) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Peter Bradford Benchley (May 8, 1940 – February 11, 2006) was an American author, screenwriter, and environmental activist. He is known for his bestselling novel Jaws and co-wrote its movie adaptation with Carl Gottlieb. Several more of his works were also adapted for both cinema and television, including The Deep, The Island, Beast, and White Shark.
Quick Facts Born, Died ...
Peter Benchley | |
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![]() Portrait by Alex Gotfryd, 1974 | |
Born | Peter Bradford Benchley (1940-05-08)May 8, 1940 New York City, U.S. |
Died | February 11, 2006(2006-02-11) (aged 65) Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. |
Occupations |
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Years active | 1967–2006 |
Spouse |
Winifred "Wendy" Wesson
(m. 1964) |
Parent(s) | Marjorie Bradford Nathaniel Benchley |
Relatives | Robert Benchley (grandfather) Nat Benchley (brother) |
Website | www.peterbenchley.com |
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Later in life, Benchley expressed some regret for his 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, Benchley did not believe that his writings contributed to shark depopulation, nor is there evidence that Jaws or any of his works did so.[1]