Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss, best known for Jaws<\/em>, canceled his appearance at the shark-themed SharkCon in Tampa, Florida, due to viral bronchitis. In a July 11 video on SharkCon\u2019s Instagram, Dreyfuss said his doctors advised against flying, and he didn\u2019t want to risk spreading the illness.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m terribly sorry,\u201d he said, adding that he\u2019d been looking forward to the July 12\u201313 event, sponsored by National Geographic. SharkCon, which features shark-themed exhibits, speakers, and celebrity guests, announced that all prepaid photo ops and autographs with Dreyfuss would be refunded.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel terrible about not showing up,\u201d he said, \u201cbut there will be other times.\u201d<\/p>\n Bronchitis, often caused by viruses, inflames the airways and leads to coughing. Most cases resolve in a couple of weeks, but chronic bronchitis may require long-term care.<\/p>\n Dreyfuss, born in 1947 in Brooklyn, rose to fame with American Graffiti<\/em>, Jaws<\/em>, and Close Encounters<\/em>. He won an Oscar in 1977 for The Goodbye Girl<\/em> and earned another nomination for Mr. Holland\u2019s Opus<\/em>. Known for his range, he\u2019s also been open about his bipolar disorder.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Oscar-winning actor Richard Dreyfuss, best known for Jaws, canceled his appearance at the shark-themed SharkCon in Tampa, Florida, due to viral bronchitis. In a July 11 video on SharkCon\u2019s Instagram, Dreyfuss said his doctors advised against flying, and he didn\u2019t want to risk spreading the illness. \u201cI\u2019m terribly sorry,\u201d he said, adding that he\u2019d been…<\/p>\n