"Jaws" icon Richard Dreyfuss was forced to drop out of this weekend'sSharkConin Tampa, Fla., after he was diagnosed with viral bronchitis. Dreyfuss delivered the news of his diagnosis and his exit in avideo postshared to the SharkCon Instagram on Saturday. More from Variety On the 50th Anniversary of Its Release, 'Jaws' Holds a Surprising Message for Us: Movies Should Feel Real How Steven Spielberg's 'Jaws' Endured a Hellish Production to Become Hollywood's First Summer Blockbuster Steven Spielberg Is Introducing a Special Airing of 'Jaws' on NBC This Month, Among Other Plans to Mark the Film's 50th Anniversary (EXCLUSIVE) He said, "Hello, fellow cons. I am very, very sorry to tell you that I've been diagnosed with viral…viral…What is it?" His wife, Svetlana Erokhin, then clarified off-screen that Dreyfuss had been infected with viral bronchitis. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SharkCon (@shark_con) Dreyfuss continued, "I've been told by my doctors I cannot fly, and I would have to fly five hours to get [to SharkCon]. 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." Dreyfuss headlined Steven Spielberg's 1975 horror masterpiece alongside Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw. In "Jaws," the Oscar-winner played Matt Hooper, a wisecracking oceanologist and shark expert tasked with helping Chief Brody track down the vicious man-eater. The "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" star made waves during another public appearance at a "Jaws" retrospective screening in 2024. At the post-screening Q&A, Dreyfussmade controversial commentsabout the Oscars' new diversity requirements, trans people and the MeToo movement. The executive director of the event, J. Casey Soward, issued a statement in the fallout, apologizing for his remarks. Best of Variety Final Emmy Predictions: Talk Series and Scripted Variety - New Blood Looks to Tackle Late Night Staples Oscars 2026: George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Roberts, Wagner Moura and More Among Early Contenders to Watch New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Sign up forVariety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us onFacebook,Twitter, andInstagram.