Richard Dreyfuss Marries

The Jaws star's marriage, to his Russian-born girlfriend, is his third

Richard Dreyfuss has married Russian-born Svetlana Erokhin in Harrisonburg, Va., where the Jaws and Mr. Holland’s Opus star was in town for an appearance at James Madison University.

The Brooklyn-born Dreyfuss, 58, and Erokhin, 46, appeared unannounced at the Rockingham County Courthouse on Thursday, took out a marriage license and were then wed in the magistrate’s office, according to Andy Perrine, JMU spokesman and associate vice president of communications and marketing.

“We had no idea” they would be marrying, said Perrine. “Although one look at Svetlana and you wouldn’t be surprised he wanted to marry her. She’s beautiful and has a sultry Russian accent. She clearly is head over heels in love with Richard, who is captivatingly funny. They were like two young loves who couldn’t seem to get enough of each other.”

Rockingham County Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Spinar spotted the couple as they walked into the courthouse, where he staffs the metal detector. Said Spinar: “I happened to glance at him and said, ‘You look like Richard Dreyfuss.’ He said, ‘I am Richard Dreyfuss.’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure you are.’ He said, ‘Seriously, I am Richard Dreyfuss’ … and he laughed at me.”

Dreyfuss was in the area to deliver a speech as part of JMU’s Madison Week festivities. He is also making a documentary for the university’s International Beliefs and Values Institute.

This is the Goodbye Girl Oscar winner’s third marriage. He was married to TV production assistant Jeraime Rain, with whom he had three children, from 1983-95. He then married Janelle Lacey in 1999. Both marriages ended in divorce.