LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Roy Scheider, a two-time Oscar nominee best known for his role as Police Chief Martin Brody in the blockbuster movie "Jaws," has died.

He was 75.

Scheider died Sunday at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences hospital in Little Rock. The hospital did not release a cause of death.

However, a hospital spokeswoman said that Scheider had been treated for multiple myeloma at the hospital for the past two years.

Scheider was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 1971's "The French Connection" in which he played Detective Buddy "Cloudy" Russo, the partner of Detective Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (Oscar winner Gene Hackman).

Based on the lives of real-life detectives Eddie "Popeye" Egan and Sonny "Cloudy" Grosso, Hackman and Scheider, prepared for the film by hitting the streets with NYPD officers, and touring "shooting galleries" to observe the real-life horrors of drug dealing and addiction.

The role ultimately gave Scheider a newfound respect for the badge.

"When you get into someone else's shoes, you know that you automatically have a perspective of looking at it from their point of view and they become more sympathetic to you and more admirable than before," Scheider said in a 2001 @ The Movies interview for the 30th anniversary of the film.

Grosso said in a separate 2001 @ The Movies interview for the film that Scheider intensely prepared for the role, stepping into much more than his shoes.

"During the making of the film he had my gun, wore my badge and ring," recalled Grosso. "I'm surprised he didn't want to wear my shorts."

Scheider was also nominated for Best Actor for 1979's "All That Jazz," based on the life story of famed Broadway director Bob Fosse.

However, he was best known for his role in Steven Spielberg's 1975 film, "Jaws," the enduring classic about a killer shark.

One of Scheider's most famous lines from "Jaws" -- "You're gonna need a bigger boat" -- was voted No. 35 on the American Film Institute's list of best quotes from U.S. movies.

"Jaws" is widely credited with giving birth to the Hollywood blockbuster era by becoming the first movie to earn $100 million at the box office.

Despite the overwhelming success Scheider experienced in "Jaws," its sequel and "The French Connection," the actor was highly visible in several other films, including 'Klute," "Marathon Man," "Blue Thunder," "The Seven-Ups," "2010" and "The Rainmaker."

On television, Scheider starred in the series "Seaquest DSV," the telefilm "RKO 281," and a recurring role in the series "Third Watch." Last year he had a guest slot on "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

Scheider was also politically active. He participated in rallies protesting U.S. military action in Iraq, including a massive New York demonstration in March 2003.