Richard Dreyfuss Falls Ill

Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss had to skip out on an event after receiving a scary health diagnosis.

The 77-year-old Jaws star was set to make an appearance at SharkCon in Florida but was forced to miss the event after being diagnosed with viral bronchitis.

The SharkCon account posted an Instagram reel where Dreyfuss is seen apologizing to his fans for not being able to make it.

“I am very, very sorry to tell you that I’ve been diagnosed with viral…What is it?…I’ve been diagnosed with viral bronchitis,” he explained, with help from his wife Svetlana Erohkin.

“I’ve been told by my doctors I cannot fly, and I would have to fly five hours to get there,” Dreyfuss said. “I’m terribly sorry because I had planned to be there and had been looking forward to it. But I’m unable to do so… I don’t want to get anyone else sick, and I don’t want to get sicker myself. I feel terrible about not showing up, and I feel worse about exposing you to this apparently very viral illness.”

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In the caption for the reel, the organizers of SharkCon noted that any prepaid autographs or photo-taking experiences with Dreyfuss would be automatically refunded within 5-10 business days of the convention.

SharkCon, a convention celebrating all things sharks, took place at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall in Tampa, Florida.

Notably, Steven Spielberg’s ultra-classic thriller Jaws premiered on June 20, 1975, meaning the convention was set to take place right before the film’s fiftieth anniversary.