Who Is Brenda Siemer Scheider? Everything About Roy Scheider’s Wife

Brenda Siemer Scheider built a full career of her own long before, during, and after her marriage to actor Roy Scheider, best remembered for playing Chief Brody in Jaws. She’s worked as a model, an actress, a documentary filmmaker, and a co-founder of a school, all while raising two children and later navigating widowhood after Roy died in 2008. Her story is far more layered than a single line about who she married. Here’s what’s actually documented about Brenda Siemer Scheider, her career, her marriage, and where she stands today.

Brenda Siemer Scheider

Who Is Brenda Siemer Scheider?

Brenda Siemer Scheider is an American actress, documentary filmmaker, and visual artist, best known publicly for her twenty year marriage to actor Roy Scheider. Beyond that marriage, she’s built her own creative career across several fields, from early work as a model in New York and Paris to acting roles in film and television, and later, documentary work focused on health and personal stories close to her own life.

Early Life and Education

Brenda was born Brenda King on September 11, 1948. Her father worked as a drawing board operator and introduced her to art at a young age, an influence that shaped much of her later creative work. She won a high school art award upon graduating in 1966 and went on to study Fine Arts at the University at Buffalo, earning a scholarship during her third year there.

Career as a Model and Actress

Before her marriage to Scheider, Brenda worked as a model in both New York and Paris. She later moved into acting, taking on roles including the 1981 horror film Dawn of the Mummy and a 1982 appearance on the television series Remington Steele, where she played a character named Mrs. Hammond, credited under the name Brenda King. Her acting career, while not extensive, gave her early experience in front of the camera that would later inform her work as a filmmaker.

Marriage to Roy Scheider

Brenda Siemer married actor Roy Scheider in 1989. It was Scheider’s second marriage. Before marrying his later spouse, he was married to Cynthia Bebout from 1962 until their divorce in 1986. Roy Scheider was already a major Hollywood name by the time he married Brenda, having built his career through films like Jaws, The French Connection, and All That Jazz. The couple settled in Sagaponack, on Long Island, New York, and stayed married for nearly twenty years, until Roy’s death in 2008.

Children: Christian and Molly Scheider

Brenda and Roy Scheider had two children together: son Christian Scheider, born in 1990, and daughter Molly Scheider, born in 1995. Roy Scheider is also listed as having a third child in addition to Christian and Molly, believed to be from his earlier marriage to Cynthia Bebout, though that child has not been widely discussed publicly. Brenda has largely kept details about her children’s adult lives private, though Christian has appeared alongside her at public events tied to Roy’s legacy.

Co-Founding the Hayground School

In 1996, Brenda Siemer Scheider co-founded the Hayground School, a progressive, multicultural elementary school in Bridgehampton, New York, built around hands-on, experiential learning. The project reflected her long standing interest in education, and it’s remained one of her most consistent public commitments, separate from both her acting career and her marriage to Roy.

Documentary Filmmaking Career

Brenda has built a meaningful career as a documentary filmmaker, often drawing on deeply personal subject matter. Her first film, I Know a Song, followed her own mother’s sixteen year journey with Alzheimer’s disease, and was later gifted to the Alzheimer’s Association after airing internationally. She went on to direct Is It Really Me? in 2003, exploring the experiences of young women coming of age, and co-directed and co-produced In My Hands: A Story of Marfan Syndrome in 2009, which screened at the Hamptons International Film Festival and won a CINE Golden Eagle Special Jury Award.

Roy Scheider’s Death

Roy Scheider died on February 10, 2008, in Little Rock, Arkansas, at the age of 75, following complications related to multiple myeloma, a form of blood cancer. His death came after nearly twenty years of marriage to Brenda. The following year, in April 2009, Brenda attended a tribute event honoring Roy’s life and career at the Beverly Hills Hotel, alongside their son Christian and fellow actors including Richard Dreyfuss and Christopher Lloyd, both of whom had worked with Roy over his long career.

Life After Roy Scheider

Following Roy’s death, Brenda continued her work in documentary filmmaking and visual art. She later remarried, to Samuel Neustadt, in 2012. She’s also known as a watercolor painter, and by most accounts, has settled into a creative, community focused life in Sag Harbor, New York, not far from where she and Roy once lived together.

Where Is Brenda Siemer Scheider Now?

As of 2026, Brenda Siemer Scheider continues to live in the Sag Harbor area of New York, working as a painter and remaining involved in the arts and education community she helped build through the Hayground School. She keeps a relatively low public profile, appearing occasionally at events connected to her documentary work or to Roy Scheider’s lasting legacy in film.

Common Misconceptions

A few things worth clarifying:

Some sources describe Roy Scheider as having three children total, which can cause confusion since Brenda and Roy are widely confirmed to have had two children together, Christian and Molly. The third child is understood to be from Roy’s earlier marriage.

Her acting career is sometimes overstated online. While she did appear in a small number of film and television roles, her more lasting creative work has been in documentary filmmaking and visual art.

Her current marital status is sometimes left out of older biography pages, which can make it seem like she never remarried after Roy’s death, when she has been married to Samuel Neustadt since 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Brenda Siemer Scheider? She’s an American actress, documentary filmmaker, and painter, best known for her marriage to actor Roy Scheider and for co-founding the Hayground School.

When did Brenda Siemer marry Roy Scheider? They married in 1989, staying together until his death in 2008.

Does Brenda Siemer Scheider have children? Yes, she and Roy Scheider had two children together, Christian, born in 1990, and Molly, born in 1995.

How did Roy Scheider die? He died on February 10, 2008, in Little Rock, Arkansas, from complications related to multiple myeloma.

Is Brenda Siemer Scheider still married? She isn’t married to Roy Scheider, since he passed away in 2008. She later remarried Samuel Neustadt in 2012.

What does Brenda Siemer Scheider do now? She works as a documentary filmmaker and watercolor painter, and remains involved with the Hayground School, which she co-founded in 1996.

Where does Brenda Siemer Scheider live now? As of 2026, she lives in Sag Harbor, New York.

Final Thoughts

Brenda Siemer Scheider’s story extends well beyond her marriage to one of Hollywood’s most respected actors. From modeling and acting to founding a school and directing deeply personal documentaries, she’s built a career defined by her own creative interests, not just her connection to Roy Scheider. Even after his death, she’s continued that same pattern, choosing meaningful, community centered work over public attention.