Carl Gottlieb (born March 18, 1938, in New York City) is an American screenwriter, actor, comedian, and producer whose career spans more than six decades. He is best known for co-writing the screenplay for Steven Spielberg's Jaws (1975) - initially hired as an actor, he was asked by Spielberg to rewrite the script, sharpening the characters and adding humor. He also wrote the sequels Jaws 2 and Jaws 3-D, co-wrote The Jerk with Steve Martin, and directed the 1981 cult comedy Caveman starring Ringo Starr. His behind-the-scenes account of the Jaws shoot, The Jaws Log, has sold over two million copies.
Gottlieb appeared in the authorized documentary Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story, which premiered on July 10, 2025 on National Geographic and the following day on Disney+ and Hulu.
For the 50th anniversary, Jaws was re-released in cinemas from August 29 to September 4, 2025; Gottlieb participated as a screenwriter and actor in promoting the anniversary.
The French documentary Jaws: Making a Splash in Hollywood included a new interview with Gottlieb as co-writer of the Jaws screenplay.
Rotten Tomatoes gave the documentary Jaws @ 50 a 100% rating from critics, with Gottlieb among the key participants.
