Ron Cephas Jones (/ˈsiːfəs/; January 8, 1957 – August 19, 2023) was an American actor, best known for his role as William Hill in the drama series This Is Us (2016–2022), which earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award; along with four consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning twice for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2020.
Ron Cephas Jones | |
|---|---|
 Jones in 2017 | |
| Born | January 8, 1957 Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | August 19, 2023 (aged 66) |
| Other names | Ron C. Jones |
| Alma mater | Ramapo College |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1977–2023 |
| Children | Jasmine Cephas Jones |
Jones appeared in television series such as Mr. Robot (2015–2016), The Get Down (2016–2017), Luke Cage (2016–2018), and Truth Be Told (2019–2023). He also appeared in a number of films, including Half Nelson (2006), Across the Universe (2007), Glass Chin (2014), The Holiday Calendar (2018), Dog Days (2018), and Dolemite Is My Name (2019).
In 2022, he was nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play at the 75th Tony Awards, for his performance in the Broadway play Clyde's.
Early life
editRon Cephas Jones, who was of African American heritage, was born on January 8, 1957, in Paterson, New Jersey. He attended John F. Kennedy High School and graduated from Ramapo College.[1] While at Ramapo, Jones had originally intended to study jazz under director Arnold Jones (no relation), but changed majors to theater after getting the lead in a production of Cinderella Ever After his sophomore year.[2][3]
Jones graduated from Ramapo in 1978, after which he moved to Los Angeles, California and drove a bus for the Southern California Rapid Transit District for the next four years.[2] During that time, Jones stated he "fell in love, had a child, got separated".[3] He then "traveled around", living in San Francisco, Arizona, and New Orleans before returning to New York City in 1985.[2]
Career
editAfter returning to New York in 1985, Jones began spending time at the Nuyorican Poets Café in Manhattan's East Village.[3] During that time, he performed in a play based on the Billie Holiday song "Don't Explain".[2] His performance caught the attention of a casting director, which led to Jones being offered the lead role in the Tazewell Thompson production of the Cheryl West play Holiday Heart in 1994.[2] Jones performed in several theatrical productions with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois; appeared as the title character of Shakespeare's Richard III with The Public Theater in New York City, New York, as well as other Off Broadway productions. Jones served as an understudy or standby in several Broadway theatre productions. In 2014 Jones starred as Prometheus in Prometheus Bound directed by Travis Preston through the CalArts Center for New Performance.[4] In 2022, he received a Tony Award nomination for his role in the Lynn Nottage play Clyde's.
His film credits include He Got Game (1998), Sweet and Lowdown (1999), Half Nelson (2006), and Across The Universe (2007). In television, he appeared as Reverend Lowdown in the episode "The Goat Rodeo" of the 2013 television series Low Winter Sun and he played Romero, a member of "fsociety" in the 2015 television series Mr. Robot.[5] He also appeared on season 3 of the show Banshee as Philadelphia kingpin Mr. Frazier. He played Harlem chess master Bobby Fish in season 1 of Marvel's Luke Cage. Jones appeared on the NBC drama series This Is Us as William Hill, the biological father of Randall Pearson (Sterling K. Brown). Jones received critical acclaim for his performance on This Is Us and received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series in 2018 and 2020 for his performance.
Jones appeared in the Hulu teen drama series Looking for Alaska, as well as the Apple TV+ crime drama series Truth Be Told, opposite Octavia Spencer, Lizzy Caplan and Aaron Paul.
Personal life
editJones and British-born jazz singer Kim Lesley had a daughter, actress Jasmine Cephas Jones.[6]
Death
editJones had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and underwent a double lung transplant in 2020.[7] He died on August 19, 2023, at the age of 66, from what his agent termed "a long-standing pulmonary issue".[8]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Murder Magic | Buddy Dixon | |
| 1996 | Naked Acts[9] | Joel | |
| 1998 | He Got Game | Prison Guard Bowell | |
| 1999 | A Day in Black and White[9] | Mustafa | |
| Sweet and Lowdown | Alvin | ||
| 2001 | Little Senegal | Westley | |
| 2002 | Paid in Full | Ice | |
| 2004 | Anonymous | Frank | Short film |
| The Ballad of Pinto Red | Earl House | ||
| 2005 | Preaching to the Choir | Pug | |
| 2006 | Half Nelson | Lloyd Dickson | |
| 2007 | Across the Universe | Black Panther | |
| 2010 | Ashes[9] | Floyd | |
| 2012 | Watching TV with the Red Chinese | Little | |
| 2013 | Titus | Titus | |
| 2014 | Glass Chin[9] | Ray Ellington | |
| National Theatre Live: Of Mice and Men | Crooks | ||
| 2018 | Dog Days[9] | Walter | |
| Venom | Jack | Uncredited | |
| The Holiday Calendar[9] | Gramps | ||
| 2019 | Dolemite Is My Name | Ricco |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Law & Order[9] | Frank Doyle | Episode: "Slave" |
| 1996 | New York Undercover[9] | James Farris | Episode: "Blue Boy" |
| 1997 | NYPD Blue | Jess | Episode: "All‘s Well That Ends Well" |
| 1997 | Law & Order[9] | Roland Books | Episode: "Entrapment" |
| 1999 | Double Platinum | Jean Claude | Television film |
| 2003 | Word of Honor | Ramon Detonq | Television film |
| 2006 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent[9] | Reggie Banks | Episode: "Dramma Giocoso" |
| 2008 | A Raisin in the Sun[9] | Willy Harris | Television film |
| 2012 | NYC 22 | Arthur Anson | Episode: "Schooled" |
| 2013 | Low Winter Sun | Reverend Lowdown | 3 episodes |
| 2014 | The Blacklist[9] | Dr. James Covington | Episode: "Dr. James Covington (No. 89)" |
| 2015 | Banshee | Frazier | 2 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Mr. Robot[9] | Romero | 8 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | The Get Down | Winston Kipling | 5 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | Luke Cage | Bobby Fish | 13 episodes |
| 2016–2022 | This Is Us[9] | William "Shakespeare" Hill | Main (season 1), recurring (seasons 2–6); 31 episodes |
| 2019 | Looking for Alaska[9] | Dr. Hyde | 8 episodes |
| 2019–2023 | Truth Be Told[9] | Leander "Shreve" Scoville | 28 episodes |
| 2021 | Amphibia | Captain Aldo (voice) | Episode: "Barrel's Warhammer" |
| 2021 | Lisey's Story[9] | Professor Dashmiel | Miniseries |
| 2021–2022 | Law & Order: Organized Crime | Congressman Leon Kilbride | Recurring (season 2); 8 episodes |
| 2022 | Better Things | Ron | Recurring (season 5); 3 episodes |
| 2024 | Genius: MLK/X | Elijah Muhammad | Main role; posthumous release[10] |
Video games
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Madden NFL 19 | Earl Coates | Story mode, "Longshot Homecoming" |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Award | Category | Project | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Gold Derby Awards | Best Drama Supporting Actor | This Is Us | Nominated |
| Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Supporting Actor, Drama Series | Won | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| OFTA Television Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Nominated | ||
| 2018 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series | Won | |
| Gold Derby Awards | Best Drama Guest Actor | Nominated | ||
| Black Reel Awards for Television | Outstanding Guest Actor, Drama Series | Won | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series | Won | ||
| 2019 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Nominated | ||
| 2020 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Won | ||
| 2022 | Tony Awards | Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play | Clyde's | Nominated |
| Drama Desk Awards | Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play | Won | ||
| 2024 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series | Truth Be Told | Nominated |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "How hit show This Is Us is connected to NJ — NO spoilers, scout’s honor!", WKXW, February 23, 2017. Accessed February 17, 2018. "First, the cast includes New Jersey native, Ron Cephas Jones. The Paterson native who played William (Randall's biological dad) graduated John F. Kennedy High School and then attended Ramapo College in Mahwah. Jones also has had recent roles in Mr. Robot & Luke Cage."
- ^ a b c d e "LAByrinth Theater Company – Company Members". Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Ron Cephas Jones on the Bridge Project". Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ "CalArts Center for New Performance – » Prometheus BoundCalArts Center for New Performance". CalArts Center for New Performance.
- ^ Stanhope, Kate (April 16, 2015). "USA's 'Mr. Robot' Nabs 'Gotham,' 'Sopranos' Actors for Recurring Roles (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 17, 2015.
- ^ "'This Is Us' Star Ron Cephas Jones Spills On His Stellar TV Performance And Working With His Daughter In 'Dog Days'". August 17, 2018. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- ^ Traub, Alex (August 21, 2023). "Ron Cephas Jones, 66, Soulful 'This Is Us' Star With Two Emmys, Dies". The New York Times. p. B5. Retrieved December 26, 2023.
- ^ "Ron Cephas Jones, Emmy-Winning 'This Is Us' Actor, Dead at 66". People. Retrieved August 19, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Ron Cephas Jones - Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com.
- ^ Petski, Denise (November 30, 2022). "'Genius: MLK/X' Adds Ron Cephas Jones, Gary Carr, Hubert Point-Du Jour In Lead Roles, 5 More Cast". Deadline. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
