The 1999 movie Deep Blue Sea did little to repair the reputational damage caused to sharks by the Jaws franchise, but it has proved to have enduring appeal, not least for the sudden and unforgettable exit of Samuel L Jackson’s character Russell Franklin.
Now rapper-actor LL Cool J has revealed to the Guardian that he narrowly avoided death while playing the role of chef Sherman ‘Preacher’ Dudley in the film, recalling that an encounter with one of the remote-controlled sharks “almost drowned me”.
In the movie a group of scientists searching for a cure for Alzheimer's disease at an isolated research facility are hunted by a set of genetically engineered mako sharks.
Preacher is grabbed by one of the makos, which he escapes by stabbing in the eye with his crucifix. “Ooh, I'm done!,” he exclaims. “Brothers never make it out of situations like this! Not ever!”
“At that time, the animatronic sharks weren’t AI; they were controlled by a guy with a joystick,” LL Cool J told the paper. “He pushed the button, the shark grabbed my leg, then they called lunch – and the shark just parked me under water,” he says.
It’s not clear what had happened to the safety divers and other crew but “after I managed to pull my leg out and get out of there, there was one dude left on set sitting there with a cigarette, and he went: ‘I guess you made it out, huh?’.”
“Making that film was dangerous, with a lot of water flying around, but it was a great experience,” said the actor. “I had a fun time working with Sam [L Jackson]. Watching him get eaten was my favourite part!”
Not mentioned in the Guardian was another piece of Deep Blue Sea trivia involving actor Thomas Jane, who at one point was required by the director to swim alongside a real live shark. According to IMDb, he was allowed to shoot this scene only once he had completed all his others.
Also read: Non-fiction diving movies, The Dive: Scuba takes centre stage in new movie, Avatar 2 – most-significant diving movie ever?, 6 best scuba diving movies to watch in 2021
