Age, Biography and Wiki

Peter Benchley was an American author, screenwriter, and ocean advocate best known for his novel Jaws, which was adapted into the iconic 1975 film of the same name. He was born on May 8, 1940, in New York City, New York, to Nathaniel Benchley and Margaret (née Putnam) Benchley. Benchley attended Harvard University, where he graduated with a degree in English in 1962. After college, he worked as a reporter for The Washington Post and then as a speechwriter for President Lyndon B. Johnson. In 1974, Benchley published his first novel, Jaws, which was an instant success and was adapted into a blockbuster film in 1975. He went on to write several other novels, including The Deep (1976), The Island (1979), and Beast (1991). Benchley also wrote several screenplays, including Jaws 2 (1978), The Island (1980), and White Shark (1994). He also wrote and produced the television miniseries The Beast (1996). Benchley was an active ocean advocate and served on the board of directors of the Ocean Futures Society, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ocean conservation. He was also a member of the Explorers Club and the American Academy of Achievement. Benchley died on February 11, 2006, at the age of 65.

Popular As Peter Bradford Benchley
Occupation writer,producer,actor
Age 66 years old
Zodiac Sign Taurus
Born 8 May 1940
Birthday 8 May
Birthplace New York City, New York, USA
Date of death 11 February, 2006
Died Place Princeton, New Jersey, USA
Nationality United States

We recommend you to check the complete list of Famous People born on 8 May. He is a member of famous Writer with the age 66 years old group.

Peter Benchley Height, Weight & Measurements

At 66 years old, Peter Benchley height is 6' 4" (1.93 m) .

Physical Status
Height 6' 4" (1.93 m)
Weight Not Available
Body Measurements Not Available
Eye Color Not Available
Hair Color Not Available

Who Is Peter Benchley's Wife?

His wife is Winifred Brownell Wesson (19 September 1964 - 11 February 2006) ( his death) ( 3 children)

Family
Parents Not Available
Wife Winifred Brownell Wesson (19 September 1964 - 11 February 2006) ( his death) ( 3 children)
Sibling Not Available
Children Not Available

Peter Benchley Net Worth

His net worth has been growing significantly in 2022-2023. So, how much is Peter Benchley worth at the age of 66 years old? Peter Benchley’s income source is mostly from being a successful Writer. He is from United States. We have estimated Peter Benchley's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets.

The Deep (1977)$1,000,000
The Island (1980)$4,000,000

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Timeline

2018

He was inducted in the 2018 New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts and Letters category.

2016

He was nominated for the 2016 New Jersey Hall of Fame in the Arts and Letters category.

1975

Grandson of famed humorist and actor Robert Benchley and the son of highly respected children's books author Nathaniel Benchley, novelist Peter Benchley's book were decidedly more dramatic in their content and style than his father's, and usually centered on the world's oceans as a backdrop to his vigorous plots. Benchley is of course best remembered for penning the multi-million selling thriller Jaws, which was eventually filmed by director Steven Spielberg starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw. Jaws (1975) was a box office sensation, becoming one of the seminal films of the 1970s, spawning several inferior sequels, numerous low budget copycat films starring hammerheads, tiger and mako sharks. Plus generations of swimmers chose backyard pools over the mysterious ocean surf for cooling off in summer. Benchley also wrote The Deep and The Island which were also both brought to the screen, but with much less fanfare and box office return than the Jaws venture. Interestingly, after the enormous hysteria created over the great white shark and their alleged man-eating habits, Benchley became a dedicated environmentalist committed to learning all he could about one of the world's most amazing apex predators. In the ensuing years, Benchley became one of the great white shark's greatest defenders and publicly admitted on numerous occasions that with what he now knew about the fragility of the species, he would have never written a book like Jaws which demonised the great white.

1961

After graduating from Harvard University in 1961 he became a reporter at the Washington Post then worked as an editor at Newsweek. He later went to the White House where he wrote difficult speeches about the Vietnam War for President Lyndon Johnson.